THE ACTIVE INFINITIVE. 
59 
bewerian, prohibit, forbid. 
biddan, request, demand. 
findan, find. 
fon, undertake, begin. 
forbeodan, forbid. 
forhogian, despise, neglect. 
forhycgan, despise, neglect. 
forlaetan, omit. 
ge-earnian, deserve, earn. 
gehatan, order, promise. 
geleomian, learn. 
gemed(e)mian, deign, vouchsafe. 
gemyntan, intend, determine. 
gestihhian, determine, decide. 
geswican, stop, desist from. 
geCafian, allow. 
getSristlaecan [-y-], presume, undertake. 
gewil(l)nian, desire. 
gewunian, use, be wont. 
gieman, care. 
leornian, learn. 
' •» 
myntan, think, intend. 
ondraedan, fear. 
onginnan, begin (occasionally attempt). 
secan, seek. 
sellan, grant, allow. 
tilian [teolian], attempt, strive for. 
Sencan, think, attempt (?). 
wenan, hope, expect. 
wil(l)nian, desire. 
2. With Passive Verbs. 
At times the Modern English John told me the story is, in the passive, ren¬ 
dered, unhappily I think, by I was told the story by John, in which latter the 
direct object, story, of the active is illogically retained in the passive. This 
objective in the passive construction is by not a few grammarians called “ the 
retained objective/’—an awkward name, but, despite his objurgatory remarks 
thereon, not inferior, I think, to that proposed by Professor C. Alphonso Smith, 1 
“ the objective by position.” Similarly, at times, an active infinitive is found 
as the retained object of a few passive verbs which, when active, take a dative 
and an accusative as objects or an accusative and an infinitive as an objective 
phrase. This construction with the infinitive after passive verbs is by many, 
especially in Germany, called, not “ the retained objective,” but “ the nomi¬ 
native with the infinitive.” Both terms seem to me infelicitous, but, as I am 
unable to suggest a good substitute, I adopt the former as the less objection¬ 
able of the two. See, further, Einenkel, 1 1. c ., p. 257, who discusses this idiom 
in Middle English, and Erckmann, l. c., pp. 10-11, who discusses it in Modern 
English. 
I. This objective infinitive is uninflected only with the passive of the fol¬ 
lowing verbs: — 
aliefan, allow. (ge)seon, see. 
(ge)fremman, make. hatan, command. 
The examples in full are: — 
aliefan [—y-], allow: 
Ex. 44: Wceron hleahtorsmibum handa belocene, alyfed labsib leode gretan. 
(ge)fremman, make: 
JElf. L. S. XXIII B. 38: Wei oft eac swilce baes be hi rehton baet he weere 
gefremed wyrbe beon baere godcundan onlihtnysse burh aeteowednyss fram gode 
baere gastlican gesihbe (or consecutive?). 
(ge)seon, see: 
Bede 68.14, 15 a : heora weoruldgod, (5a heo agan, him healdab ba be heo 
geare gesegene beotf eahtan j witnian — 50.13: quae possident, ipsis seruant, 
quos irati insequi uidentur. — lb. 142.5: baet he wees gesewen Criste Seowian 
1 See his interesting discussion of this idiom in his Studies in English Syntax, pp. 66-71. 
