Why is the verb to be in the infinitive in 'Praise be to God.'?

Asked Jun 18 '14 at 03:08

Active Jun 18 '14 at 03:08

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Other sentences that look similar are:

'May you be always in our presence.'

'May you be forgiven.'

But May + sub + infinitive of be is used to make a wish and 'Praise be to God' is more of a informative statement rather than a wish.

asked Jun 18 '14 at 03:08

4

It’s being used in the present subjunctive, just as you have with Long live the king. – tchrist Jun 18 '14 at 03:20
The other sentences are the Magical sense of may, used in wishes, blessings, curses, and other magical invocations, like "May this house be safe from tigers" or "May you spend eternity rollerskating on cobblestones". Fillmore discusses this sense of may in his classic lecture, "May We Come In?". – John Lawler Jun 18 '14 at 04:13
You might be interested in this on the subjunctive. – anongoodnurse Jun 18 '14 at 04:46

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