Theme: syntax in oe contents I. Introduction II. Main body. Structural relations of old english

Sentences introduced by hit and pær

In OE texts there are sentences introduced by the subject hit and by the adverbial modifier pær, which to some extent lose their own meaning. E.g. ne-wæs hit lenʒse pa ʒen, pæt se ecʒhete aðum-sweorum æfter wæl-niðe wæccan scolde 'it had not yet gone so far that a feud should arise between son-in-law and father-in-law because of mortal enmity'. These are the beginnings of sentences with a "formal subject" it and with the phrase there is.

Uses of Infinitive and Participle

The OE infinitive is used in different syntactical functions. It may be the subject of a sentence, e.g. all pas pinʒ pære peode ʒedafenap cup habban 'all these things it behoves the people to know'. The infinitive often combines with verbs meaning 'begin', 'be able', 'wish', etc. E.g. Hiʒeldc ongan sine ʒ eseldan in sele pam hean fæsre fricʒean 'Hiʒelac duly began to interrogate his attendants in the high hall'; him bebeorʒan ne con 'defend him I cannot'. With verbs of motion the infinitive often expresses the purpose of the action, e.g. he siʒe-hreðiʒ secean com mærne peoden 'he, glorified by victories, came to greet the famous king'. The tō-infinitive is also used to express purpose: hie comon pæt land to sceawianne 'they came to have a look at the land'.

This form is also used in other functions, e. g. lonʒ is to secʒanne 'it is too long to tell', ʒoddædum, pa hy ær forhoʒdun to donne 'good deeds, which they had failed to perform', ne bip pær epe pin spor to findanne 'it will not be easy there to find your trace'. Sometimes, more especially in poetic style, an infinitive with a verb of motion denotes rather the way the action is performed, e.g. 3ewat pa neosian hean huses 'he went approaching the high house', pa com of more under mist-hleopum ʒrendel ʒonʒan 'then came from the marsh under mist rocks Grendel (going)'.

The infinitive is also used to express commands in indirect speech: him budon drincan ʒebitrodne win-drenc 'they told him to drink bitter wine'.