Theme: Syntax in Old English

Syntactic functions of the infinitive and participle in Old English

In OE there were syntactic phrases that later developed into infinitive and participle / gerund constructions, which are widely used in Mod E.

The dative case of the infinitive was used as an adverbial modifier of purpose:

hīe cōmon þæt land tō scēawienne‘they came to spy out that land’.

In combination with the forms of the verb bēon the dative case of the infinitive made the structure of the following type: hē is tō cummene ‘he is to come’.

Infinitive Phrases

When an infinitive follows a phrase V + N/pronoun + Infinitive, the construction “accusative and infinitive” is formed. It is mainly found with verbs of perception: seon ‘see’, hieran ‘hear’, ¥efri¥nan ‘learn’, and also with verbs expressing order or permission, such as hatan ‘order’, lætan ‘let’ etc. E.g. fyrleoht(Acc.)¥eseah (finite verb), blacne leoman (Acc.) beorhte scinan (Inf.)‘he saw a fire-light, a glittering flash shine brightly’; ne-hyrde ic cymlicor ceol ¥e¥yrwan ‘I did not hear a more handsome shipconstructed’.