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SPLIT INFINITIVE

Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language | 1998 | | Copyright

SPLIT INFINITIVE. A prescriptive term for an INFINITIVE phrase such as to cut or to enjoy that has been opened up (‘split’, ‘cleft’) by the insertion of a word or phrase (especially an adverb), as in: ‘to sharply cut the federal deficit’; ‘encouraging more people to, for example, park their cars’. Long a major bone of contention among teachers, grammarians, and commentators on style and usage, the split infinitive in the last two decades has become a matter of minor concern. For further discussion of the controversy, see USAGE GUIDANCE AND CRITICISM.

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TOM McARTHUR. "SPLIT INFINITIVE." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

TOM McARTHUR. "SPLIT INFINITIVE." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-SPLITINFINITIVE.html

TOM McARTHUR. "SPLIT INFINITIVE." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-SPLITINFINITIVE.html

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split infinitive

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

split infinitive a construction consisting of an infinitive with an adverb or other word inserted between to and the verb, e.g. she seems to really like it. Although it is still widely held that such a construction is wrong, the dislike of it is not well-founded, being based on an analogy with Latin, where infinitives consist of only one word.

In English, the placing of an adverb may be extremely important in giving a particular emphasis; in some cases, splitting an infinitive can only be avoided at the cost of losing such emphasis.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "split infinitive." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "split infinitive." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-splitinfinitive.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "split infinitive." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-splitinfinitive.html

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split infinitive

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

split in·fin·i·tive • n. a construction consisting of an infinitive with an adverb or other word inserted between to and the verb, e.g., she seems to really like it.

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"split infinitive." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"split infinitive." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-splitinfinitive.html

"split infinitive." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-splitinfinitive.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	The dictionary that dares to boldly split infinitives. Newspaper article from: Daily Mail (London); 8/15/1996
	Split infinitive.(Poem) Magazine article from: Christianity and Literature; 9/22/2001
	A split infinitive is just the beginning; American English continues its long... Newspaper article from: The Christian Science Monitor; 10/23/2003