196 ORIGIN OF CONSTRUCTIONS OF INFINITIVE IN ANGLO-SAXON. 
intends to imply that ultimately fleon denotes purpose, though the probability 
of such an implication is somewhat weakened by his adding immediately “ = he 
flew away,” as also by his translation of the other infinitives above. In a word, 
he seems to consider the infinitive modal in use. 
Quite similar to the statement of C. F. Koch is that of Theodor Muller, in 
his Angelsachsische Grammatik (1883), p. 247: “ Der reine Inf. steht . . . c) 
nach Verben der Bewegung, um den Zweck der Bewegung auszudriicken; 
zuweilen auch um die Art und Weise der Bewegung naher zu bezeichnen, im 
letzteren Falle das Part. Praes. vertretend: Gewat t>a neosian . . . hean huses, 
Beow. 115; he com gangan, Beow. 710 (cf. Koch, II, 55).” 
The view of Dr. Steig is given in his discussion of human, in his article 
“ Ueber den Gebrauch des Infinitivs im Altniederdeutschen ” (1884): “ Bei 
human scheint die Infinitiv-Construetion besonders beliebt gewesen zu sein. 
Indess ist eine doppelte Gebrauchsweise wohl zu unterscheiden: Erstens wird 
namlich dem Verbum human pleonastisch der Infinitiv eines Verbs der Bewegung 
beigefiigt; ahnlich bei Homer, z. B. e/fy 1/xev, efty QUiv u. dgl. m.” 1 He then 
cites examples, of which I quote only one, Heliand 503: tho quam en uuif gangan. 
The second use of the infinitive after hum,an is, as Steig indicates, purely final. 
Quite similar is the view of Dr. Pratje, in his “ Syntax des Heliand ” (1885), 
§ 142, which is headed “ Einfacher Infinitiv, abhanging von Verben der Bewe¬ 
gung: ” “ Man kann zwischen dem phraseologischen, oder, wie Steig es aus- 
driickt, pleonastischen und dem finalen Gebrauch des Infinitiv unterscheiden.” 
He then gives illustrations of these two uses of the infinitive with ;various 
verbs of motion. But neither he nor Steig expresses a definite opinion as to 
the origin of the phraseological (or pleonastic) infinitive. 
Of the same import is the statement of Dr. Karl Kohler, who, in his disser¬ 
tation, Der Syntaktische Gebrauch des Infinitivs und Particips im “ Beowulf ” 
(1886), p. 29, declares that the infinitive expresses “ entweder die Weise der 
Bewegung oder eine sie begleitende Handlung.” 
Dr. B. Schrader, in his Studien zur Mlfricshen Syntax (1887), p. 70, at¬ 
tributes to the infinitive the modal use: “Um bei Verben der Bewegung die Art 
derselben zu bezeichnen, wird im alteren ae. [= A. S.] stets der einfache Inf. 
gebraucht {he com gangan).” 
Dr. Sweet’s statement, in his Anglo-Saxon Reader (1894), p. lxxxiv, is brief, 
and non-committal as to the origin of the idiom: “ The infinitive is often used 
in poetry after a verb of motion where we should use the present participle: 
5a com inn gan ealdor 3egna, ‘ the prince of thanes came walking in * (20.394).” 
Professor C. A. Smith seems to think that the infinitive is primarily modal 
in sense. In his Anglo-Saxon Grammar (1898), p. 438, in commenting on 
Beowulf, 1. 651 ( scaduhelma gesceapu scriftan cwoman), he expresses himself as 
follows: “ The student will note that the infinitive ( scridan ) is here employed 
as a present participle after a verb of motion {cwoman). This construction 
with cuman is frequent in prose and poetry. The infinitive expresses the kind 
of motion: ic com drifan = 6 1 came driving.’ ” 
Dr. Wiilfing’s statement, in his Syntax (1900), II, p. 194, is as follows: 
“ Der Infinitiv bezeichnet die Art und Weise der Bewegung oder eine gleich- 
zeitige Handlung, als Vertreter eines Partizips. Diese in der Poesie so iiberaus 
haufige Redewendung habe ich bei vElfred nur zweimal bei cuman gefunden.” 
1 Steig, l. c., p. 337. 
