The word order in this construction is throwing me for a loop. I.e. the way “habe” appears where it does and not in second position or on the end of the sentence. Is there a name for this so I can look up an explanation of it? I’ve heard it several times before but am struggling to wrap my mind around it, and I don’t hear it frequently enough to really grasp it intuitively.
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There’s a nice explanation in “Hammer’s German Grammar and Usage.” It’s a two-part-er, and the first reference to look at is Table 19.7, which says “…if there are two infinitives at the end of the clause…the finite verb comes before both,” which in this case is “habe.” The ellipsis refers to section 11.3.2, “The use of the infinitive for a past participle,” which indicates ‘lassen’ as being one of the verbs that can make this substitution.
Keep 'em coming! I used to do obscure reference work for a living, and any excuse to torture facts out of Hammer is a delight.
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Very recently, a good explantion of this word order by pitti42:
It is always optional, so do not bother too much.
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