As perhaps the most comprehensive review of non-finiteness so far, Chapter 2 starts by reviewing the mentions of non-finiteness in the early history of English grammar writing (from 1785), then it digs into the studies of non-finiteness in the following theories: morphology-based traditional grammar, typological perspective, form-based generative grammar, meaning-based cognitive grammar, meaning- and form-based systemic functional grammar, semiotic grammar, role and reference grammar, functional discourse grammar, construction grammar and other approaches. A summary of the enlightening views is provided at the end of the chapter.

This essay is an outline of some of the key terms in the classical Sanskrit tradition that can be translated as “imagination.” This enables us to map a very different yet recognizable terrain for our understanding of the concept. The essay is in four parts. The first looks at the articulation of ideas recognizably centred on imagination in the performative aspects of early or Vedic texts (1500–300 BCE). The second presents various terms that approach different aspects of “imagination,” and looks at some of the genres within which these terms were thematized. The third section surveys some influential contemplative practices in which imagination was carefully explored as a disciplined way of cultivating and expanding awareness. The fourth section very briefly considers the philosophical question of the cognitive status of imagination at least in aesthetic production. The conclusion opens up discussion about how this tradition of thematizing imagination may enrich the contemporary study of imagination, whose philosophical roots lie in the Western tradition.