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An investigation of the construction "verb + preposition + infinitive" in Spanish

University of British Columbia

The intent of the thesis, as explained in the Introduction, is to examine the development and use of the verb + preposition + infinitive construction in Castilian. The Introduction serves to present the problem and to suggest an explanation. That is, the postulation of an initial prepositional meaning within the construction, which has since been lost in many cases. Chapter One deals with the three terms employed in the construction, and indicates the possible ambiguity of each term, and the complexity inherent within its use. It examines several accepted definitions of the terms and of their relationship to one another, and seeks to resolve several consequent problems. Chapter Two consists of a study of the development of the construction from Latin to Old Spanish. It attempts to deal briefly with various Latin constructions and their subsequent influence, and tries to show how many of them resulted in the Spanish construction under consideration. Chapter Three examines a number of examples of this construction in Old Spanish. It presents a possible interpretation of these quotations in the context of the verb + preposition + infinitive construction, and attempts to demonstrate how and why they occurred, comparing and contrasting Old and modern usage. Chapter Four is an examination of the situation of Modern Spanish, in terms of the same construction. It looks at a number of verbs in the language, indicates their etymology briefly, and points out various comparisons and contrasts with modern French. A discussion of these forms follows, with the intent of corroborating the original hypothesis. The Conclusion consists of a summation of the information gained in the course of the study.

Text

2011-04-12

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/33584

Hispanic Studies

University of British Columbia

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