ABSTRACT
Inthischapter,variousaspectsofthehistoricaldevelopmentoftheinfinitiveinGreekare
discussed.OneofthemoststrikingdifferencesbetweenModemGreekandearlierstagesofGreek,
e.g.ClassicalorBiblical,isthefactthatwhereasinearlierGreek,infmitivesaboundedinavariety
offunctions(see§2.1),inModernGreek,theseformsareseverelyrestrictedinbothuseand
number.TheextentofthisrestrictionissogreatthatModernGreekiscommonlycalledalanguage
whichcompletelylacksthisverbalcategory.VAThisdoesnotmeanthatthefinite/non-finite
distinctionforverbswaslost,onlythatthedistributionofthisdistinctionchanged--inChapter7,it
isshownthatModemGreekstillhasthisdistinction.