Lesson 20

20.1 The Inflected (Causative) Infinitive.⬆

Negation is with ⲧⲙ̅- placed either before the whole expression or before the infinitive: ⲧⲙ̅ⲧⲣⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ or ⲧⲣⲁⲧⲙ̅ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ that I not hear.

The Inflected Infinitive is used in the following ways:

1. As a complementary infinitive, with ⲉ, after appropriate verbs of wishing or commanding when the subject of the infinitive is different from that of the main verb. Contrast

   ϯⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉ ϭⲱ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲁ.

   I want to remain here.

   ϯⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲕϭⲱ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲁ.

   I want you to remain here.

   ⲧⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲧⲣⲉⲕⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ.

   We want you not to go away.

   It is not incorrect, however, to say ϯⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲧⲣⲁϭⲱ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲁ, with no change in subject.

2. Like the ordinary infinitive with ⲉ, the Inflected Infinitive is used in a wide range of result or purpose expressions, often corresponding to English "for... to..."

   ⲁ-ⲡⲉⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣ ϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ.

   The time arrived (lit. was fulfilled) for us to leave.

   ⲁϥϯ ⲛⲁϥ ⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲝⲟⲩⲥⲓⲁ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̅ ϩⲉⲛⲡⲛ̅ⲁ̅ ⲛ̅ ⲁⲕⲁⲑⲁⲣⲧⲟⲛ.

   He gave him the power (for him) to cast out unclean spirits.

   Because of the frequent use of the Inflected Infinitive with ⲉ, we shall spell this as a single unit, as in the preceding examples.

3. With the preposition ϩⲛ̅ + the definite article ⲡ- the Inflected Inf. has the force of a temporal clause with "while, as":

   ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲧⲣⲉϥⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ

   while/as he was walking

   ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲧⲣⲉ-ⲡⲟⲩⲏⲏⲃ ϣⲗⲏⲗ

   as the priest was praying

   The tense of such "clauses" depends on the context. They occur frequently after introductory ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ:

   ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲇⲉ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲧⲣⲉϥϣⲙ̅ϣⲉ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲣⲡⲉ...

   It happened, however, as he was serving in the temple, that...

4. After the preposition ⲙⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲥⲁ and without an article the Inflected Inf. is equivalent to a temporal clause with "after":

   ⲙⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲥⲁ ⲧⲣⲁⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ

   after I saw them, ...

   ⲙⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲥⲁ ⲧⲣⲉ-ⲡⲉϥⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ

   after his father left, ...

5. The Inflected Inf. is used frequently with the impersonal expressions treated in the following paragraph. Other uses will be taken up in a later lesson.

20.2 Impersonal Expressions⬆

The impersonal use of ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ was introduced in Vocabulary 9. There are several other impersonal expressions, some verbal, some anomalous, which occur frequently:

1. ϩⲁⲡⲥ̅ it is necessary (neg. ⲛ̅ ϩⲁⲡⲥ̅ ⲁⲛ), followed by the Inflected Inf. The subject of the infinitive may be anticipated with the preposition ⲉ; an untranslatable ⲡⲉ often co-occurs with ϩⲁⲡⲥ̅.

   ϩⲁⲡⲥ̅ (ⲡⲉ) ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲛⲡⲱⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ.

   It is necessary that we flee.

   ϩⲁⲡⲥ̅ (ⲡⲉ) ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲉⲧⲣⲁϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲕ.

   It is necessary that I speak with you.

2. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-(ϣ)ϭⲟⲙ it is possible; neg.: ⲙⲛ̅-(ϣ)ϭⲟⲙ it is not possible. The subject of a following infinitive may be introduced with ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗, with the Inflected Inf., or both:

   ⲙⲛ̅-ϣϭⲟⲙ ⲉ ⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉ ⲛⲉϥϣⲁϫⲉ.

   It is not possible to understand his words.

   ⲙⲛ̅-ϣϭⲟⲙ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲛ ⲉ ⲉⲓⲙⲉ.

   ⲙⲛ̅-ϣϭⲟⲙ (ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲛ) ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲛⲉⲓⲙⲉ.

   It is not possible for us to understand.

3. ϣϣⲉ (or ⲥϣⲉ) it is appropriate, proper, fitting; neg.: ⲛ̅ ϣϣⲉ ⲁⲛ or ⲙⲉϣϣⲉ. The subject of the infinitive may be anticipated with prep. ⲉ.

   ϣϣⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉ ⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ.

   It is proper for him to enter.

   ⲛ̅ ϣϣⲉ ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲛ̅ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅ϭⲱ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲁ.

   It is not proper for you to remain here.

   The relative forms ⲡⲉⲧⲉ ϣϣⲉ, ⲛⲉⲧⲉ ϣϣⲉ, what is proper (neg.: ⲡⲉⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉⲧⲉ ⲙⲉϣϣⲉ) are often used as substantives.

4. ⲣ̅-ⲁⲛⲁ⸗ to please, used impersonally with subject ⲥ- and an object suffix, or with a personal subject and a reflexive suffix. The suffix on ⲁⲛⲁ⸗ is required; a nominal object is anticipated by a suffix and introduced with ⲛ̅.

   Study the following examples:

   ⲁⲥⲣ̅-ⲁⲛⲁϥ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ.

   It pleased him to come (i.e. he came willingly) into this world.

   ⲁⲥⲣ̅-ⲁⲛⲁϥ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲙⲏⲏϣⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲛⲁⲩ ⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ.

   It pleased the crowd (for them) to see this.

   ⲁⲓⲣ̅-ⲁⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲣⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲉ ⲛⲉⲕϣⲁϫⲉ.

   It pleased me to hear your words.

   Note also the partially synonymous verb ⲣ̅-ϩⲛⲁ⸗ to be willing, desire, which is used only with a personal subject and reflexive suffix:

   ⲁⲓⲣ̅-ϩⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲣⲁⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲛ̅ ⲛⲉⲓϣⲁϫⲉ.

   I wanted to write to you (about) these things.

   ⲣ̅-ϩⲛⲁ⸗ is not used in the First Present; ⲣ̅-ⲁⲛⲁ⸗ has no such restriction.

20.3 Reported speech with ⲡⲉϫⲉ-, ⲡⲉϫⲁ⸗⬆

The verb ⲡⲉϫⲉ-, ⲡⲉϫⲁ⸗, followed by its subject, is equivalent to ϫⲱ in the First Perfect, but is used only to report speech, with ϫⲉ:

20.4 Infinitives like ⲥⲟⲗⲥⲗ̅ and ϣⲧⲟⲣⲧⲣ̅⬆

Infinitives of the types ⲥⲟⲗⲥⲗ̅, to console, and ϣⲧⲟⲣⲧⲣ̅, to disturb, have the following prenominal and presuffixal forms:

With the exceptions of the infinitives treated below in Lesson 26, the remaining types of transitive infinitives do not constitute regular classes of any significant size. The following verbs of minor types have occurred in the lessons up to this point:

When the presuffixal form of the infinitive ends in a diphthong, as in ⲥϩⲁⲓ⸗ and ⲧⲛ̅ⲛⲟⲟⲩ⸗, the object suffix of the 3rd pers. pl. regularly appears as -ⲥⲟⲩ: ⲥϩⲁⲓⲥⲟⲩ to write them, ⲧⲛ̅ⲛⲟⲟⲩⲥⲟⲩ to send them. The -ⲥ- of this form sometimes appears also before other suffixes, e.g. ⲥϩⲁⲓⲥϥ̅ to write it.