Strong Verb Conjugation &

Anomalous VerbsM&R §§110–114, 128–130

ENG240Y Old English / Mon 4 Oct 2010

personal/participle endings

weak1 fremman strong1 wrītanic fremme ic wrīteþū fremest þū wrītesthē fremeþ hē wrīteþ

wē fremmaþ wē wrītaþic fremede ic wrāt

þū fremedest þū writehē fremede hē wrāt

wē fremedon wē writonfremed writen

preterite/participle stem

weak1 fremman strong1 wrītanic fremme ic wrīteþū fremest þū wrītesthē fremeþ hē wrīteþ

wē fremmaþ wē wrītaþic fremede ic wrāt

þū fremedest þū writehē fremede hē wrāt

wē fremedon wē writonfremed writen

syncope

weak1 hīeran strong5 biddanic hīere ic bidde

þū hīerest > hīerst þū biddest > bidsthē hīereþ > hīerþ hē biddeþ > bitt

wē hīeraþ wē biddaþic hīerde ic bæd

þū hīerdest þū bǣdehē hīerde hē bæd

wē hīerdon wē bǣdonhīered beden

i-mutation

weak2 lufian strong2 brūcanic lufie ic brūce

þū lufast þū brȳcsthē lufaþ hē brȳcþwē lufiaþ wē brūcaþic lufode ic brēac

þū lufodest þū brucehē lufode hē brēac

wē lufodon wē bruconlufod brocen

Conjugating quirks ● present indicative 2/3sg: - both weak and strong: commonly syncope (þū bidest > þū bitst; hē bideð > hē bitt)

- weak: no gemination (ic fremme, þū fremest, hē fremeð, wē fremmað)

- strong: i-mutation when possible (ic sēo, þū siehst, hē siehð, wē sēoð)

● both weak and strong: with a personal pronoun 1/2pl (wē/gē) following the verb, -að may be reduced to -e (wē singað > singe wē)

Strong verb conjugationwrītan1 present preterite

indicative 1sg ic wrīte ic wrāt2sg þū wrītest þū write3sg hē wrīteð hē wrāt

ind. plural wē wrītað wē writonsubjunctive sg ic wrīte ic writesubjunctive pl wē wrīten wē writenimperative sg wrīt!imperative pl wrītað!participle wrītende writeninfl. infinitive tō wrītenne

Weak presents (strong classes V–VII)biddan5 present preterite

indicative 1sg ic bidde ic bæd2sg þū bidst þū bǣde3sg hē bitt hē bæd

ind. plural wē biddað wē bǣdonsubjunctive sg ic bidde ic bǣdesubjunctive pl wē bidden wē bǣdenimperative sg bide!imperative pl biddað!participle biddende gebedeninfl. infinitive tō biddenne

Strong verb classesclass inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.

I scīnan scān scinon scinenIIa crēopan crēap crupon cropenIIb brūcan brēac brucon brocenIII bregdan brægd brugdon brogden

IIIbr. weorpan wearp wurpon worpenIIIdiph. gieldan geald guldon goldenIIInasal drincan dranc druncon druncen

IV beran bær bǣron borenV tredan træd trǣdon tredenVI faran fōr fōron faren

VIIa healdan hēold hēoldon healdenVIIb hātan hēt hēton hāten

Anomalous verbs● bēon● dōn● gān● willan● preterite-present verbs

- present tense derives from strong past- newly-formed weak preterite

Preterite-present verbswitan present preterite

indicative 1sg ic wāt ic wiste2sg þū wāst þū wistest3sg hē wāt hē wiste

ind. plural wē witon wē wistonsubjunctive sg ic wite ic wistesubjunctive pl wē witen wē wistenimperative sg witeimperative pl witaðparticiple witende witeninfl. infinitive tō witenne

Anomalous conjugation: bēon

present ind. 1 present ind. 2 present subj. 1 present subj. 2ic eom ic bēo ic sīe ic bēoþū eart þū bist wē sīen wē bēonhē is hē biþwē sind wē bēoþpreterite ind. preterite subj. imperative 1 imperative 2ic wæs ic wǣre wes bēoþū wǣre wē wǣren wesaþ bēoþhē wæswē wǣron

● originally three verbs: bēon, *es-, wesan● two common conjugations of the present: eom, bēo

Anomalous conjugationdōn present preterite

indicative 1sg ic dō ic dyde2sg þū dēst þū dydest3sg hē dēð hē dyde

ind. plural wē dōð wē dydonsubjunctive sg ic dō ic dydesubjunctive pl wē dōn wē dydenimperative sg dō!imperative pl dōð!participle dōnde gedōninfl. infinitive tō dōnne

Anomalous conjugationgān present preterite

indicative 1sg ic gā ic ēode2sg þū gǣst þū ēodest3sg hē gǣð hē ēode

ind. plural wē gāð wē ēodonsubjunctive sg ic gā ic ēodesubjunctive pl wē gān wē ēodenimperative sg gā!imperative pl gāð!participle gānde gegāninfl. infinitive tō gānne

Anomalous conjugationwillan present preterite

indicative 1sg ic wille ic wolde2sg þū wilt þū woldest3sg hē wile hē wolde

ind. plural wē willað wē woldonsubjunctive sg ic wille ic woldesubjunctive pl wē willen wē woldenimperative sg wille!imperative pl willað!participle willende gewilleninfl. infinitive tō willenne

Parsing● Hū mǣg þis gewurðan? forðan þe ic ne brūce nānes weres.

● Eadulf bisceop þyssa landa breac his līfes tīda.

● Þonne secge wē þæt hē wæs se mann se ðe God spræc tō.

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