THE OBJECTIVE INFINITIVE. 185 
H. THE OBJECTIVE INFINITIVE. 
A. THE ACTIVE INFINITIVE. 
1. With an Active Finite Verb. 
I. THE INFINITIVE UNINFLECTED ONLY. 
1. Verbs of Commanding. 1 
The objective infinitive after hatan is undoubtedly of native origin in 
Anglo-Saxon. (1) It occurs over a hundred times in Anglo-Saxon poetry, 
and nearly twenty times in Beowulf. (2) In the Early West Saxon transla¬ 
tions, though it occasionally answers to a Latin objective infinitive (active or 
passive), it usually answers to some other idiom, most commonly to a Latin 
co-ordinated finite verb. (3) It is common in the Chronicle. (4) It is very 
common with iElfric, who has nearly 500 examples. (5) The idiom is, we 
know, characteristic of the Germanic languages as a whole. — As to abiddan 
we cannot decide, as only one example occurs, in iElfric. 
The Latin correspondents are: a co-ordinated finite verb (usually active (63), but occa¬ 
sionally passive (13)) or a Latin accusative and infinitive (usually passive (58), but occa¬ 
sionally active (5)). Other correspondents are: the infinitive as retained object (active, 1; 
passive, 5); a subordinated finite verb (active, 15; passive, 1); an absolute participle (active, 
2; passive, 7); an appositive participle (active, 2; passive, 8); ad + a gerund, 4; a gerun¬ 
dive in the accusative, 1; an indicative with an accusative + ad + a gerundive in the accusa¬ 
tive, 1; an accusative and a gerundial infinitive passive, 2; an indicative with ad + a gerund, 
1; an indicative with ut + a subjunctive clause as object, 2; an adhortative subjunctive, 1; 
a loose paraphrase, 4; no Latin, 35. 
2. Verbs of Causing and Permitting. 2 
The objective infinitive after Icetan is probably of native origin. (1) It 
occurs in the poems, though rarely. (2) In the Early West Saxon translations, 
it corresponds once to a Latin objective infinitive (active), but usually to a 
co-ordinated finite verb (active, 3; passive, 1) or to an accusative and infinitive 
(active, 1; passive, 2), but occasionally to other idioms (a passive final infini¬ 
tive, 1; a passive subordinated finite verb, 1; a supine in -um, 1; no Latin, 3). 
(3) It is very common in the Chronicle, occurring over fifty times, though 
usually in the later years. (4) The idiom is common in the other Germanic 
languages. — As only two examples occur after don and one after forgiefan 
(the text of the former is in doubt), we cannot decide as to them, though the 
Anglo-Saxon infinitive after forgiefan corresponds to a Latin objective infinitive 
after donare. 
3. Verbs of Sense Perception. 3 
The objective infinitive with each of the verbs of sense perception ( gehieran , 
geseon, hieran, ofseon, and seon) is doubtless of native origin in Anglo-Saxon. 
Seon is found only in the poetry; ofseon only once, in ^Elfric. As to the objec¬ 
tive infinitive with the remaining three verbs: (1) it is found in the poems; 
(2) in the Early West Saxon translations it corresponds to various Latin 
idioms; and (3) it is found in the Chronicle except with geseon. 
1 Given in Chapter II, p. 31. 
3 Given in Chapter II, p. 31. 
1 Given in Chapter II, p. 31. 
