Old English Verbs: Survival Kit P . S. Langeslag
Present-Day English Tense Formation Table 1: A selection of English verbs in their distinctive forms Infinitive Past Past Participle wish wished wished believe believed believed ride rode ridden sing sang sung may might — can could — shall should — be was been
Present-Day German Tense Formation Table 2: A selection of German verbs in their distinctive forms Infinitive Past Past Participle wünschen wünschte gewünscht glauben glaubte geglaubt reiten ritt geritten singen sang gesungen mögen mochte gemocht können konnte gekonnt sollen sollte gesollt sein war gewesen
Present-Day English Verb Classes Table 3: A selection of English verbs in their distinctive forms Infinitive Past Past Participle Classification wish wished wished weak believe believed believed weak ride rode ridden strong sing sang sung strong may might — preterite-present can could — preterite-present shall should — preterite-present be was been mixed
The Largest Classes Strong Weak Form their preterite and past participle by the Form their preterite and past participle by addition of a dental suffix /d~t/. changing their stem vowel. Table 4: Weak verbs Table 5: Strong verbs say said said write wrote written spend spent spent swim swam swum walk walked walked bear bore borne ban banned banned shake shook shaken NB past participle typically ends in -n.
Mixed/Anomalous Be contains three stems: ▶ am ~ is (German ist , sind , sei , seien ) ▶ be (German bin , bist ) ▶ was ~ were (German war , warst , waren , gewesen ) What Else Is There But Weak and Strong? Preterite-Present ▶ Presents share an origin with strong preterites; ▶ Preterites superficially like weak preterites. Table 6: Preterite-present verbs can could — will would — may might — shall should —
What Else Is There But Weak and Strong? Preterite-Present Mixed/Anomalous ▶ Presents share an origin with strong preterites; Be contains three stems: ▶ Preterites superficially like weak preterites. ▶ am ~ is (German ist , sind , sei , seien ) ▶ be Table 6: Preterite-present verbs (German bin , bist ) ▶ was ~ were can could — will would — (German war , warst , waren , gewesen ) may might — shall should —
German Table 8: German lehren Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 ich lehre wir lehren 2 du lehrst ihr lehrt 3 sie lehrt sie lehren Preterite 1 ich lehrte wir lehrten 2 du lehrtest ihr lehrtet 3 sie lehrte sie lehrten Weak Verbs: Class 1 Old English Table 7: OE lǣran (“teach”) Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 ic lǣre wē lǣraþ 2 þū lǣrest gē lǣraþ 3 hēo lǣreþ hīe lǣraþ Preterite 1 ic lǣrde wē lǣrdon 2 þū lǣrdest gē lǣrdon 3 hēo lǣrde hīe lǣrdon
Weak Verbs: Class 1 German Old English Table 8: German lehren Table 7: OE lǣran (“teach”) Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 ich lehre wir lehren Present 1 ic lǣre wē lǣraþ 2 du lehrst ihr lehrt 2 þū lǣrest gē lǣraþ 3 sie lehrt sie lehren 3 hēo lǣreþ hīe lǣraþ Preterite 1 ich lehrte wir lehrten Preterite 1 ic lǣrde wē lǣrdon 2 du lehrtest ihr lehrtet 2 þū lǣrdest gē lǣrdon 3 sie lehrte sie lehrten 3 hēo lǣrde hīe lǣrdon
Weak Verb Endings German Old English Table 10: Weak German personal endings Table 9: Weak OE personal endings Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 -e -en Present 1 -e -aþ 2 -st -t 2 -(e)st -aþ 3 -t -en 3 -(e)þ -aþ Preterite 1 -te -ten Preterite 1 -de -don 2 -test -tet 2 -dest -don 3 -te -ten 3 -de -don
Weak Verb Endings on Class 2 Thematic Vowels German Old English Table 12: German class 2 thematic and endings Table 11: OE class 2 thematic and endings Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 -e -en Present 1 -ige -iaþ 2 -est -et 2 -(e)st -iaþ 3 -et -en 3 -aþ -iaþ Preterite 1 -ete -eten Preterite 1 -ode -odon 2 -etest -etet 2 -odest -odon 3 -ete -eten 3 -ode -odon
Weak Verbs: Class 2 German Old English Table 14: German schmieden Table 13: OE smiþian (“fashion, forge”) Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singulara Plural Present 1 ich schmiede wir schmieden Present 1 ic smiþige wē smiþiaþ 2 du schmiedest ihr schmiedet 2 þū smiþast gē smiþiaþ 3 sie schmiedet sie schmieden 3 hēo smiþaþ hīe smiþiaþ Preterite 1 ich schmiedete wir schmiedeten Preterite 1 ic smiþode wē smiþodon 2 du schmiedetest ihr schmiedetet 2 þū smiþodest gē smiþodon 3 sie schmiedete sie schmiedeten 3 hēo smiþode hīe smiþodon
Strong Verbs: Class IV German Old English Table 16: German nehmen Table 15: OE niman (“take”) Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 ich nehme wir nehmen Present 1 ic nime wē nimaþ 2 du nimmst ihr nehmt 2 þū nim(e)st gē nimaþ 3 sie nimmt sie nehmen 3 hēo nim(e)þ hīe nimaþ Preterite 1 ich nahm wir nahmen Preterite 1 ic nōm wē nōmon 2 du nahmst ihr nahmt 2 þū nōme gē nōmon 3 sie nahm sie nahmen 3 hēo nōm hīe nōmon
Verb Endings Compared Weak Strong Table 17: Weak OE personal endings Table 18: Strong OE personal endings Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 -e -aþ Present 1 -e -aþ 2 -(e)st -aþ 2 -(e)st -aþ 3 -(e)þ -aþ 3 -(e)þ -aþ Preterite 1 -de -don Preterite 1 -∅ -on 2 -dest -don 2 -e -on 3 -de -don 3 -∅ -on
Figure 1: Front mutation
i -Mutation and Fortition German Old English Table 20: German treten Table 19: OE tredan (“step, trample”) Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 ich trete wir treten Present 1 ic trede wē tredaþ 2 du trittst ihr tretet 2 þū tritst gē tredaþ 3 sie tritt sie treten 3 hēo tritt hīe tredaþ Preterite 1 ich trat wir traten Preterite 1 ic træd wē trǣdon 2 du tratest ihr tratet 2 þū trǣde gē trǣdon 3 sie trat sie traten 3 hēo træd hīe trǣdon
Seven Strong Verb Classes: Today German English Table 22: German strong preterite formation Table 21: English strong preterite formation # Infinitive Past Participle # Infinitive Past Participle I reiten ritt geritten I ride rode ridden II fsieren fsor gefsoren II fseeze fsoze fsozen III schwimmen schwamm geschwommen III swim swam swum IV stehlen stahl gestohlen IV steal stole stolen V geben gab gegeben V give gave given VI schwören schwor geschworen VI swear swore sworn VII fallen fiel gefallen VII fall fell fallen
The Strong Verb Classes in Old English Table 23: Old English illustration of the strong verb classes # Infinitive 3sg Pres. Pret. Sg. Pret. Pl. Participle I rīdan rītt rād ridon riden II fsēosan fsȳst fsēas fsuron fsoren III swimman swimþ swamm swummon swommen IV stelan stilþ stæl stǣlon stolen V gyfan gyfÿ geaf gēafon gyfen VI swerian swereþ swōr swōron sworen VII feallan fielþ fēoll fēollon feallen
Strong Verb Gradation Patterns in Old English Table 24: Vowel gradation across the four principal parts of OE strong verbs # First Fronted Second Third Fourth I ī ā i i II ēo īe > ȳ ēa u o III eCC iCC æCC uCC oCC IV e i æ ǣ e V e i æ ǣ e VI a æ ō ō a VII X X-fsonted Y Y X (C = consonant; X = ā/a/ēa/ea/ō/ē/ǣ/æ ; Y = ē/ēo/eo )
Preterite-Present Verbs Compare: Preterite-Present Present Strong Preterite Table 25: Presents of preterite-present verbs Table 26: Preterites of classes III, V English German Old English English German Old English can kann can ran rann rann may mag mæg lay lag læg
Preterite-Present Conjugation Table 27: witan (“know”) Table 28: mōtan (“be allowed; must”) Tense # Singular Plural Tense # Singular Plural Present 1 ic wāt wē witon Present 1 ic mōt wē mōton 2 þū wāst gē witon 2 þū mōst gē mōton 3 hēo wāt hīe witon 3 hēo mōt hīe mōton Preterite 1 ic wiste wē wiston Preterite 1 ic mōste wē mōston 2 þū wistest gē wiston 2 þū mōstest gē mōston 3 hēo wiste hīe wiston 3 hēo mōste hīe mōston
Index of Preterite-Present Verbs Table 29: The twelve preterite-presents of Old English Infinitive Present Preterite Sense āgan āh āhte own; be obligated cunnan can cūþe know (how to), be able durran dearr dorste dare dugan dēah dohte avail magan mæg meahte may mōtan mōt mōste may, be able; must gemunan geman gemunde remember genugan geneah genohte suffice sculan sceal sceolde must þurfan þearf þorfue need unnan ann ūþe grant witan wāt wiste know
Sense Developments in Germanic Modals Table 30: Sense differences between cognate modal auxiliaries OE Sense PDE Sense German Sense cunnan know (how to), be able can be able können know (how to), be able mōtan may; be able; must must must müssen must sculan must shall shall sollen ought willan want will shall wollen want
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