Accusative. Some verbs of asking (a question) and requesting, together with
_l[=ae]ran_ (teach), take two accusatives, one of the person, and another
of the thing:--_h[=i]e hine ne dorston [=ae]ni[.g] thing [=a]scian_ (they
durst not ask him anything); _w[=e] magon [=e]ow r[=ae]d [.g]e.l[=ae]ran_
(we can teach you a plan).
The accusative is used adverbially to express duration of time: _hw[=y]
stande [.g][=e] h[=e]r ealne dae[.g] [=i]dle?_ (why stand ye here all the
day idle?)
Dative. The dative in Old E. is of two kinds, (1) the dative proper, and
(2) the instrumental dative, interchanging with the regular instrumental.
It is not always easy to separate the two.
(1) The dative proper usually designates personal relations, and is
frequently used with verbs, together with an accusative (generally of the
thing). The dative is also used with adjectives. It is used not only with
verbs of _giving_, &c., as in _h[=e] sealde [=ae]lcum [=a]nne p[e,]ning_
(he gave each a penny); _addressing_, as in _ic [=e]ow s[e,][.c][.g]e_ (I
say to you), _h[=e] thancode his Dryhtne_ (he thanked his Lord); but also
with many verbs of _benefiting_, _influencing_, &c., as in _ne d[=o] ic
th[=e] n[=a]nne t[=e]onan_ (I do thee no injury), _h[=i]e noldon him
l[=i]efan_ (they would not allow {41} them to do so); _th[=ae]m r[=e]thum
st[=i]erde_ (restrained the cruel ones). Also in looser constructions, to
denote the person indirectly affected, benefited, &c., as in _by[.c][.g]ath
[=e]ow ele_ (buy for yourselves oil). Note especially the following idiom:
_h[=i]e [.g]e.s[=o]hton Bretene Brettum t[=o] fultume_ (they came to
Britain as a help to the Britains--to help them); _h[=e] clipode Cr[=i]st
him t[=o] fultume_ (he called Christ to his help).
The dative is also used with adjectives of _nearness_, _likeness_,
&c.:--_[=E]admund cyning clipode [=a]nne biscop the him [.g]e.h[e,]ndost
waes_ (King Edmund summoned a bishop who was nearest at hand to him);
_heofona r[=i][.c]e is [.g]e.l[=i]c th[=ae]m mangere the s[=o]hte thaet
g[=o]de m[e,]regrot_ (the kingdom of the heavens is like the merchant who
sought the good pearl).
(2) The instrumental dative is used to denote the _instrument_ and _manner_
of an action: _h[=e] [.g]e.[e,]ndode yflum d[=e]athe_ (he ended with an
evil death). Hence its use to form adverbs, as in _s[.c][=e]afm[=ae]lum_
(sheafwise). It also signifies time when:--_thrim [.g][=e]arum [=ae]r
th[=ae]m the h[=e] forth.f[=e]rde_ (three years before he died), which is
also expressed by the instrumental itself:--_s[=e]o wolde [e,]fsian
[=ae]lce [.g][=e]are thone sanct_ (she used to cut the saint's hair every
year); _th[=y] f[=e]orthan [.g][=e]are his r[=i][.c]es_ (in the fourth year
of his reign). A past participle with a noun in the instrumental dative is
used like the ablative absolute in Latin: _Hubba be.l[=a]f on
Northhymbra-lande, [.g]e.wunnenum si[.g]e mid waelhr[=e]ownesse_ (H.
remained in Northumbria, victory having been won with cruelty).
Genitive. The genitive is often used in a partitive sense:--_his f[=e]onda
sum_ (one of his enemies); _hiera f[=i]f w[=ae]ron dysi[.g]e_ (five of them
were foolish). Hence it is generally used with _fela_, as in _fela wundra_
(many miracles); also with numerals when used as substantives (p. 18).
The genitive is often used like an accusative to denote the object of
various emotions and mental states, such as {42} _joy_, _desire_,
_remembering_:--_h[=i]e thaes fae[.g]nodon sw[=i]the_ (they rejoiced at it
greatly); _m[=e] l[=e]ofre w[=ae]re thaet ic on [.g]e.feohte f[=e]olle with
th[=ae]m the m[=i]n folc m[=o]ste hiera eardes br[=u]can_ (it would be
pleasanter to me to fall in fight that my people might enjoy (possess)
their country); _ic thaes [.g]e.wilni[.g]e_ (I desire that); _[.g]if h[=e]
his f[=e]ores r[=o]hte_ (if he cared about his life); _h[=e] waes thaes
H[=ae]lendes [.g]e.myndi[.g]_ (he was mindful of--he remembered the
Saviour).
Some of these verbs, such as _biddan_ (ask), take an accusative of the
person and a genitive of the thing:--_h[=e] hine hl[=a]fes bitt_ (he asks
him for bread).
Verbs of _depriving_, _restraining_, &c., have the same construction:--_nis
Angel-cynn be.d[=ae]led Dryhtnes h[=a]lgena_ (England is not deprived of
the Lord's saints).
Some verbs of _giving_, &c., take a genitive of the thing and a dative of
the person:--_him waes of.togen [=ae]lces f[=o]dan_ (they were deprived of
all food).
The genitive is often used to _define_ an adjective or noun:--_th[=u] eart
wierthe sl[e,][.g]es_ (thou art worthy of death); _on th[=ae]m [.g][=e]are
the Aelfred aetheling [=a]n and tw[e,]nti[.g] [.g][=e]ara waes_ (in the
year when Prince Alfred was twenty-one).