古英語では，名詞の対格 (accusative) は第一義的に動詞の直接目的語の役割を担うが，他にも役割がある．「副詞的対格」 (adverbial_accusative) と呼ばれる用法がその1つで，現代英語でも「副詞的目的格」などとして，その名残がみられる．その意味は，しばしば移動・持続期間・程度である．
　しかし，この対格の用法は，古英語に限定されるわけではない．他の印欧諸語にも広く確認される用法であり，つまるところ印欧祖語の時代から発達していた用法と考えてよさそうだ．Lass (233) は次のように述べている．

We can for instance reconstruct the IE accusative as primarily the direct object case; but it has a set of extended meanings, having to do with 'attainment of a goal' (a natural move from coding the result of the action of a transitive verb). From this there develop senses coding what one has to do to achieve a goal, e.g. the traversal of space; and from this traversal of time. Thus the accusative marks not only movement (as a derivative of 'goal'), but 'extent' in space or time as well.

　古英語の副詞的対格の用法については，Mitchell (§§1383--88) も詳述している．空間，時間，程度の広がりを指す用法について，用例とともに引用したい．

§1382. The accusative of extent is found referring to space, time, and degree. With reference to space, it is found with verbs, e.g. ÆCHom i. 108. 31 Ne glad he ealne weig him ætforan and ÆCHom ii. 506. 14 He arærde him munuclif on micelre digelnysse, twa mila fram ðære ceastre Turoniscre ðeode, and with adjectives, e.g. ÆCHom i. 20. 31 Wyrc þe nu ænne arc, þreo hund fæðma wid, and þritig fæðma heah.

§1383. The accusative of extent in time answers the question 'How long?'. It occurs alone, e.g. ÆCHom ii. 190. 26 (§1382.), ÆCHom ii. 74. 35 To hwi stande ge her ealne dæg ydele?, ÆCHom i. 178. 10 Moyses se heretoga fæste eac feowertig daga and feowertig nihta, and (with the noun repeated or varied) ÆCHom i. 20. 8 and he leofode nigon hund geara and þrittig geara and ÆCHom ii. 330. 17 . . . ren wæs forwyrned ðam wiðerweardum folce to ðreora gera fyrste, an syx monða fæce, or with a preposition, e.g. 1ÆCHom ii. 298. 23 He geheold Cristes setl geond ðrittig geara fæc.

§1385. The accusative singular neuter is used adverbially to express degree. It may refer to an action, e.g. ÆCHom ii. 536. 2 . . . ne derað him nan ðing on ðam ecan eðele, þæt he on wege þyses lifes andlyfene underfeng and ÆCHom ii. 122. 11 Þa ne mihte se papa þæt geðafian, āteah ðe he eall wolde (for this idiom see §3352); to a quality, e.g. ÆCHom 20. 370 seo geoguð . . . wæs þa geweaxen, and to wige ful strang; or to a quantity, e.g. ÆLS 6. 359 and he wunode . . . on his agenum mynstre em feowertig gera.

　現代英語の副詞的目的格の用法にまで連なる，長い歴史があるということだ．

　・ Lass, Roger. Old English: A Historical Linguistic Companion. Cambridge: CUP, 1994.
　・ Mitchell, Bruce. Old English Syntax. 2 vols. New York: OUP, 1985.

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