That why is in the same case with the instrumental the (=þy) may be seen from the following Anglo-Saxon inflection of the interrogative pronoun:—
| Neut. | Masc. | |
| N. | Hwæt | Hwá. |
| A. | Hwæt | Hwone (hwæne). |
|
| ||
| Abl. | Hwi | |
| D. | Hwám (hwæ'm) | |
| G. | Hwæs. | |
Hence, then, in the and why we have instrumental ablatives, or, simply, instrumentals.
[§ 292]. The determination of cases.—How do we determine cases? In other words, why do we call him and them
accusatives rather than datives or genitives? By one of two means; viz., either by the sense or the form.
Suppose that in the English language there were ten thousand dative cases and as many accusatives. Suppose, also, that all the dative cases ended in -m, and all the accusatives in some other letter. It is very evident that, whatever might be the meaning of the words him and them their form would be dative. In this case the meaning being accusative, and the form dative, we should doubt which test to take.
My own opinion is, that it would be convenient to determine cases by the form of the word alone; so that, even if a word had a dative sense only once, where it had an accusative sense ten thousand times, such a word should be said to be in the dative case. Now, as stated above, the words him and them (to which we may add whom) were once dative cases; -m in Anglo-Saxon being the sign of the dative case. In the time of the Anglo-Saxons their sense coincided with their form. At present they are dative forms with an accusative meaning. Still, as the word give takes after it a dative case, we have, even now, in the sentence, give it him, give it them, remnants of the old dative sense. To say give it to him, to them, is unnecessary and pedantic: neither do I object to the expression, whom shall I give it? If ever the formal test become generally recognised and consistently adhered to, him, them, and whom will be called datives with a latitude of meaning; and then the only true and unequivocal accusatives in the English language will be the forms you, thee, us, me, and twain.
My, an accusative form (meh, me, mec), has now a genitive sense. The same may be said of thy.
Me, originally an accusative form (both me and my can grow out of mec and meh), had, even with the Anglo-Saxons, a dative sense. Give it me is correct English. The same may be said of thee.
Him, a dative form, has now an accusative sense.