THE ABSOLUTE INFINITIVE. 
169 
D. THE ABSOLUTE INFINITIVE. 
The Absolute Use of the Infinitive Matzner, l. c., Ill, p. 53, characterizes 
as follows: “Von anderer Art sind prapositionale Infinitive, zum Theil paren- 
thetischer Natur, welche eine Reflexion des Redenden, die Absicht desselben 
bei der Darstellung ihrem Gehalte oder ihrer Form nach, eine Erklarung, 
Erinnerung oder Versicherung dem Zuhorer oder Leser gegeniiber enthalten.” 
After giving examples like to be short, to say truth, etc., in Modern English and 
in Middle English, he adds, p. 54: “ Im Ags. sind mir dergleichen unabhangige 
Infinitive nicht aufgestossen.” I had discovered the examples of the absolute 
use of hrcedest to secgenne in Wulfstan before I came upon the following from 
Sohrauer, who, l. c., p. 27, after quoting the foregoing passage from Matzner, 
adds: “ Einen beleg fur das ae. bietet Napier’s Wulfstan, 36.6,” and quotes 
one example of hrcedest to secganne 1 given below, but not the others. Wiilfing, 2 
l. c., II, p. 224, calls attention to the absolute use of to metanne wiS in Boethius. 
Professor Einenkel, 1 l. c., p. 240, speaks of the construction in Middle English 
and declares that it exists in Anglo-Saxon, but he does not give any examples 
from the latter. Koch, l. c., II, p. 69, Dr. Scholz, and Dr. Druve treat the 
idiom in Modern English only; Dr. Zeitlin, in Middle English only. The 
idiom is not discussed by Dr. Karl Kohler. For the construction in Anglo- 
Saxon, Dr. Kenyon merely refers to the above passage from Sohrauer. Drs. 
Farrar and Riggert do not mention the idiom. 
The infinitive is inflected in all cases except two. The two uninflected 
infinitives and several of the inflected infinitives are doubtful. I give all 
the examples that I have observed: — 
(1) The Uninflected Infinitive: 
Oros. 46.16, 17 b : Heora twa wseron heora cwena, Marsepia / Lampida 
waeron hatene. Hie heora here on tu todseldon; ober set ham beon heora lond 
to healdanne, ober nt far an to winnanne = 47.16: Harum duae fuere reginae, 
Marsepia et Lampedo, quae agmine diviso in duas partes, vicissim curam belli 
et domus custodiam sortiebantur. [The foregoing seems to me to be a possible 
instance of what I should call an absolute infinitive with an accusative subject, 
by which I mean an accusative-and-infinitive phrase standing in an absolute 
or loose relation to the rest of the sentence; and I have put the passage in 
Chapter VIII, p. 118. It is possible, of course, as claimed by Drs. Einenkel 2 
and Zeitlin, 3 that o&er here is nominative, not accusative; but I prefer to be¬ 
lieve with Dr. Kenyon, l. c., p. 137, that ofter is accusative neuter, possibly due 
to the influence of tu. Dr. Kenyon, however, considers oSer to be, not the 
subject of the infinitive, but an appositive each to butu; and the infinitives to 
denote purpose after todeeldon. Somewhat similar, apparently, is the view of 
Dr. Wiilfing, 2 1. c., II, § 487: “ Im Or. [46.16,17 b ] steht der Infinitiv einmal ganz 
unabhangig zur Angabe des Zweckes; ” though he clearly considers that the 
use leans more to the absolute than does Dr. Kenyon. Whether Dr. Wiilfing 
considers these infinitives, also, to be the predicates of o&er-o$er is not clear. 
And there is the same uncertainty on this point in the statement of Dr. Shearin, 4 
1 Mohrbutter, l. c., p. 35, considers that the infinitive is, not absolute, but dependent on hrcedest, which he 
takes to be an adjective. 
2 Einenkel, 3 1. c., p. 1076. 3 Zeitlin,* 1. c., p. 145. 4 Wiilfing, 3 l. c., II, p. 224. 
