Infinitival Complements in Norwegian and the Form-Function Relation

This paper attempts to give a description and an explanation of the fact that infinitival complements in Norwegian raising sentences are often introduced by an empty preposition. The preposition is shown to head a PP with the infinitive phrase as a complement, and it is argued that it is a functional head. The use of the preposition is explained on the basis of the form-function relation. The canonical function of infinitive phrases is a parameter of variation in the world's languages. In Norwegian, their canonical function is object. In raising sentences, the prepositional head makes the complement a PP, thus avoiding an infinitive phrase in a marked function.