THE PASSIVE INFINITIVE. 
71 
If the interpretation given by me of the illustrative examples in this chapter 
is correct, Dr. Kenyon’s second statement is much nearer the truth than the 
first. It remains only to add that my interpretation of the Anglo-Saxon 
statistics had been written out in full before the appearance of Dr. Kenyon’s 
work; and that it is a pleasure to find a conclusion based upon an independent 
study of Anglo-Saxon so strongly supported by that of Dr. Kenyon based upon 
an independent study of Middle English. 
B. THE PASSIVE INFINITIVE. 
1. With Active Finite Verb. 
Occasionally (about 24 times) the passive infinitive is found as the object 
of the following active finite verbs: — 
aginnan, begin. onginnan, begin. 
geearnian, earn, merit. wil(l)nian, desire. 
gewilnian, desire. witan, know. 
habban, have. 
Typical examples are: — 
aginnan [-y-], begin: 
L. 12.45 d : agyntS beatan ba cnihtas . . . and etan and drincan and beon 
oferdruncen = coeperit percutere servos . . . et edere, et bibere, et inebriari. 
geearnian, earn , merit: 
Bede 372.34: geearnode onfongen beon = 275.21: meruisset recipi. — lb. 
406.16: bset he . . . geearnade . . . onfongen beon = 294.10 b : recipi mereretur. 
gewilnian, desire: 
Wcerf. 204.4: bonne hi gewilniaS fullfremede beon = 249 A 1 : quatenus dum 
appetunt perfedi esse. 
Mat. 20.28 b : Ge gewilniaS to gebeonne on gehwaedum binge, and beon 
gewanod on bam msestan binge = no Latin, 
habban, have: 
L. 12.50: ic hcebbe on fulluhte beon gefullod = Baptismo autem habeo baptizari. 
onginnan, begin: 
Bede 88.3: bonne onginnetS bser seo syn acenned beon = 61.14: peccatum 
incipit nasci. — lb. 128.12: ongon . . . swenced beon = 108.18 a : coepit . . . 
affici. — lb. 358.14: ongan . . . gewanad beon = 267.1 l b : coepit . . . referri. 
Wcerf. 74.3: heo ba ongan . . . beon onstyred = 201 B 3 : coepit . . . agitari. 
— Ib. 206.14: ba ongan bis . . . beon gedon = 252 B 1 : Coepit itaque hoc in- 
desinenter agere. — Ib. 206.24: ba ongan . . . se hlisa . . . beon gemcersad 
= 252 B 3 : coepit . . . fama longe lateque crebescere. 
Mk. 13.4: hwylc tacen bib bsenne ealle bas bing onginnaS beon geendudf 
= quando hsec omnia incipient consummari ? 
wil(l)nian, desire: 
Bede 234.1 b : Woldon heo 7 willnadan . . . lifgan . . . obbe forbferde bser 
bebyrged beon = 176.30: cupientes . . . sepeliri. 
Greg. 302.18: bonne hie [ma] wilniaS obrum monnum underSiedde beon bonne 
hie byrfen= 230.1: cum student plus quam necesse est hominibus subjid. 
witan, know: 
Bede 402.24: Ondswarode ic . . . baet ic . . . wiste . . . a&wegen beon 
= 291.13: respondi, quia salutari fonte in remissionem peccatorum essem ablutus. 
