weakness; and furthermore, the forcing of a specific Latin (or Greek) meaning on a formation reproducing the foreign word with accuracy just so far as its etymology is concerned, e. g., untodāled (= individuus), rihtwuldriende (orthodoxus).

In connection with the analysis of the language, and with reference to Dr. Pearce's paper on the subject (see Public. of the Mod. Lang. Assoc., Vol. viii, Proceedings for 1892, pp. vi ff.), the question of the authorship is briefly touched. Though all of Dr. Pearce's arguments cannot be endorsed, the theory of joint authorship appears indeed the only one that explains the undeniable inequalities of workmanship, of style, of spirit. But in order to reconcile the latter with the very noteworthy fact of surprising agreement, as to minor matters, in portions widely separated and of a widely different character, we have to assume that there was a guiding spirit, perhaps a correcting hand and a model which was emulated with varying degrees of success. Whether the royal author himself had any immediate share in the task of translating or not, we may properly continue to call the Bede an Alfredian work. It was through the great King's active initiative and helpful inspiration that the great and beautiful work of the Father of English learning was placed within the reach of his English people.

The need of closer textual study is illustrated by an emendation in the Caedmon Story (IV, 24).

This paper was read in synopsis by Professor C. F. McClumpha.

7. "The grammatical gender of English loanwords in German." By Professor Charles Bundy Wilson, of the University of Iowa. [To appear in Americana Germanica, Vol. III.]

This paper was discussed by Professors C. W. Pearson, J. T. Hatfield, A. R. Hohlfeld, Raymond Weeks, and Drs. W. W. Florer and E. E. Severy.

8. "The dramatic function of the confidante in the tragedies of Corneille and Racine." By Dr. Herman S. Piatt, of the University of Illinois.

Remarks were offered by Professors C. F. McClumpha, T. A. Jenkins, Raymond Weeks, C. C. Ferrell, J. S. Nollen, F. A. Blackburn, E. E. Brandon, Dr. W. H. Kirk, and the author.

Professor T. A. Jenkins read the report of a committee of the Modern Language Association on the subject of international correspondence, which at the desire of the committee was brought to the attention of the members of the Central Division.

In the evening a reception was tendered to the members and others in attendance by the Faculty of Vanderbilt University in the parlors of Wesley Hall.

FOURTH SESSION, DECEMBER 29.

The Association met at 9.45 a. m. In the absence of the President and the Vice-Presidents, Professor J. S. Nollen took the chair. The reports of committees, according to the regular order was postponed, and the reading of papers resumed.

9. "The direct influence of the American Revolution upon German poetry." By Professor J. T. Hatfield, and Miss Elfrieda Hochbaum, of Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

At the time of the American Revolution a spirit was abroad in Germany which manifested itself in literature by attacks upon tyrants and by a general enthusiasm for freedom. Thus a way was prepared for American ideals, which were eagerly greeted and loudly praised by the poets of the time. For some time America, as a country, had been well known to the Germans. The American movement was looked up to as the highest expression of the general desire for liberty, and as largely the cause of this desire, as testified to by Goethe.

It is evident from the journals of the time that the entire progress of the war was watched with sympathetic and intelligent attention, both for its own sake and still more because of its probable effect in regenerating European politics.

The sale of German mercenaries to England was felt to be a degradation, and was frequently assailed in poetry.

The American Revolution found its warmest sympathizers among the poets of Germany. Especially enthusiastic were the members of the Göttingen group. F. L. Stolberg, in his fragmentary poem Die Zukunft, gave fullest expression of his sympathy for the American cause. Klopstock, Schubart, Klinger, Voss, and many other poets praise the cause of American

liberty, and mention it with enthusiasm.

Not only the cause but its leaders, such as Franklin and Washington, received high tributes. American ideals and institutions were contrasted with those prevalent in France, to the great advantage of the former.

10. "The Italian Sonnet in English." By Dr. E. E. Severy, of the Bowen Academic School, Nashville, Tenn. Remarks upon this paper were offered by Professor C. F. McClumpha.

11. "Some points of similarity between Hauff's Lichtenstein and Scott's Ivanhoe." By Dr. Clarence W. Eastman, of the University of Iowa. [To be published in Americana Germanica.]

The paper was discussed by Professors J. T. Hatfield and F. A. Blackburn.

12. "The English Gerund." By Professor W. L. Weber, of Emory College, Oxford, Ga.

The student of Modern English syntax meets with not fewer than three distinct functions performed by the verbal forms in -ing. These uses are known as the participle, the verbal noun, and (as in the sentence, 'In rolling stones he lost his balance') what is variously known as infinitive, infinitive in -ing, verbal noun, and gerund.

The name gerund to describe one of the parts of the English verb has been used by grammarians from Aelfric to Sweet. In this paper the word gerund is used specifically to mean the verbal derivative in -ing having functions both of noun and of verb in that it may be qualified by an adverb and have an object in the case which a verb would require. The fact that the distinctive characteristic of the gerund is, as Schöll tells us in Wöllflin's Archiv, 11, 203, its active nature (gerundium being nothing else than a synonym for aktivum) should make us hesitate to apply the name to such constructions as bread to eat, hard to beur, etc. To the gerundial infinitive or, as Sweet prefers to say, to the supine, are given over gerundial constructions of forms not in -ing.

As the gerund appears before the day of Wiclif and of Chaucer only in translator's English, examination of the English that came from the translator's pen may serve to solve the problem of gerund-origin.

In the Vulgate, the translator found the last clause of Ps. 119, 9, in custodiendo sermones tuos; the Vespasian Psalter has it in haldinge word din. The Canterbury Psalter makes use of the infinitive to gloss the Latin gerund: on to gehaeldenne word pine. The first translation-the Earliest

English Prose Psalter: in keping by wordes; Rolle of Hampale: in kepand bi wordis; Wiclif: in keping thi wordis. It may be of interest to cite passages from translations in a sister tongue: Trebnitzer Psalmen: in hutunge di rede din; Trevirian Psalter: in behudinde gechose dine; Windberg Psalter: ane behuolenne rede dine. There are five other passages in the Ps. where the Vulgate gives preposition + gerund + object: Ps. 9, 3; 55, 20; 102, 22; 126, 1; 142, 3. In these the Latin gerund is reproduced in 17 cases by a nounal form; 10 cases by a participle; 2 cases by an infinitive. The Gospels have little to teach: only one Latin gerund in the ablative has an object; this construction is paraphrased. The one abl. Latin gerund with object in Aelfric's Colloquies is reproduced by the participle. In the only passage of the Orosius containing a gerund, where attempt seems to have been made at a literal translation, euertendo is reproduced by on wendende; Aelfric's Mary of Egypt has faestenes be eallum cristenum mannum geset is to maersigenne and hi selfe to claensunga. The Latin of Paulus Diaconus is inaccessible

to me.

In Aelfric's Grammar the gerundial infinitive is used for all constructions of the Latin gerund except the abl. case which is reproduced by the present pt. The same is true of Aelfred's Pastoral Care.

The remarkably accurate interlinear version of Defensor's Liber Scintillarum affords the following paradigm :

often with a prep.; e. g., dormiendo = in slaepende.

(1) The gerundial construction has never entered into colloquial speech, but to the linguistic consciousness of most of us has a formal cast. (2) The gerund was not firmly established in English before the middle of the fourteenth century. (3) In comparatively few cases, even in A.-S., was the noun form used as gerund. The nounal element abides in the fact of government by a prep. and in admitting the definite article. (4) In many instances the pres. pt. is used as gerund. The verbal element abides in the government of nouns and the qualification by adverbs. (5) Even to the time of Wiclifing and -end forms were interchangeable for gerundial uses. This interchange is observable in E. E. P. Ps. where E. E. T. S. text gives in two cases -and gerund forms, while the Dublin Ms. variant is in -ing.

Remarks on the topic of this paper were offered by Professors C. Alphonso Smith, F. A. Blackburn, C. F. McClumpha, and W. H. Kirk.

13. "The dialectical provenience of Scandinavian loanwords in English, with special reference to Lowland Scotch." By Dr. George T. Flom, of Vanderbilt University.

It is a known fact that Norsemen and Danes both participated in the extensive Scandinavian settlements that took place in England in the 9th and 10th centuries. The exact share that belongs to each still remains an open question, nor has anything like satisfactory results been arrived at with regard to where the one race was predominant and where the other. When this Dano-Norse population merged into the native English it brought with it a host of Norse and Danish words that have in a large measure persisted down to the present time. By a study of the form and meaning of these words we can determine the dialectal provenience of a large number of them, and by a further study of their distribution much can be done toward localizing the two races in England. In Old English there are about 180 Scandinavian words that seem to have come in during Dano-Norse occupancy. The character of these is mixed. In Middle English Scandinavian elements are very prominent, especially in Midland and Northern works. Brate found that the Ormulum contains about 190 such loanwords, the general character of which is Danish. This would testify to predominantly Danish settlements in East Midland. Scandinavian elements in other Middle English works are at present being studied by Eric Björkman, and his results will be an important contribution to the study of the linguistic relations of English and Scandinavian. In Standard English there are about 725 Scandinavian loanwords, the character of which is mixed. In an article entitled "Scandinavian Elements in English Dialects," Anglia, xx, Arnold Wall discusses very fully the form and distribution of the loan-words, he does not, however, enter into the question of Norse or Danish provenience. In this list of 500 loanwords however, those that are specifically Northwestern English bear a Norse stamp, while those that belong particularly to the Eastern and the Central counties are as a rule Danish. A study of the 1400 Scandinavian place-names in England reveals the fact that the typically Norse names are found most abundantly in Northwestern England, while such distinctively Danish names as "Thorpe," and "Toft," are confined to the East and Central counties. The general conclusion is that the Danes settled predominantly in the Eastern and the Central counties while the Norsemen settled in the West and the North. The heart of the Norse settlement was in Cumberland and Westmoreland. The heart of the Danish settlement was in Lincolnshire. The Yorkshire settlement was mixed. North of the Tweed and the Cheviot Hills Scandinavian loan-elements are almost exclusively Norse.

14. "The beginning of Thackeray's Pendennis." By Miss Katharine Merrill, of Austin, Ill. [Printed in Publications, xv, 233 f.]

This paper was read in outline by Professor F. A. Black

burn.