Chapter 106

ON DERIVED VERBS.

§ 282. Of the divisions of verbs into active and passive, transitive and intransitive, unless there be an accompanying change of _form_, etymology takes no cognisance. The forces of the auxiliary verbs, and the tenses to which they are equivalent, are also points of syntax rather than of etymology.

Four classes, however, of _derived_ verbs, as opposed to _simple_, especially deserve notice.

I. Those ending in -en; as _soften_, _whiten_, _strengthen_, &c. Here the -en is a derivational affix; and not a representative of the Anglo-Saxon infinitive form -an (as _lufian_, _bærnan_ = _to love_, _to burn_), and the Old English -en (as _tellen_, _loven_).

II. Transitive verbs derived from intransitives by a change of the vowel of the root.

_Primitive Intransitive Form._ _Derived Transitive Form._

Rise Raise. Lie Lay. Sit Set. Fall Fell. Drink Drench.

In Anglo-Saxon these words were more numerous than they are at present.

_Intrans. Infinitive._ _Trans. Infinitive._

Yrnan, _to run_ Ærnan, _to make to run_. Byrnan, _to burn_ Bærnan, _to make to burn_. Drincan, _to drink_ Drencan, _to drench_. Sincan, _to sink_ Sencan, _to make to sink_. Liegan, _to lie_ Lecgan, _to lay_. Sittan, _to sit_ Settan, _to set_. Drífan, _to drift_ Dræfan, _to drive_. Fëallan, _to fall_ Fyllan, _to fell_. Wëallan, _to boil_ Wyllan, _to make to boil_. Flëogan, _to fly_ A-fligan, _to put to flight_. Bëogan, _to bow_ Bígan, _to bend_. Faran, _to go_ Feran, _to convey_. Wacan, _to wake_ Weccan, _to waken_.

All these intransitives form their præterite by a change of vowel; as _sink_, _sank_; all the transitives by the addition of d or t, as _sell_, _sell'd_.

III. Verbs derived from nouns by a change of accent; as _to survéy_, from a _súrvey_.

_Nouns._ _Verbs._ | _Nouns._ _Verbs._ | Ábsent absént. | Éxtract extráct. Ábstract abstráct. | Férment fermént. Áccent accént. | Fréquent frequént. Áffix affíx. | Ímport impórt. Aúgment augmént. | Íncense incénse. Cólleague colléague. | Ínsult insúlt. Cómpact compáct. | Óbject objéct. Cómpound compóund. | Pérfume perfúme. Cómpress compréss. | Pérmit permít. Cóncert concért. | Préfix prefíx. Cóncrete concréte. | Prémise premíse. Cónduct condúct. | Présage preságe. Cónfine confíne. | Présent presént. Cónflict conflíct. | Próduce prodúce. Cónserve consérve. | Próject projéct. Cónsort consórt. | Prótest protést. Cóntract contráct. | Rébel rebél. Cóntrast contrást. | Récord recórd. Cónverse convérse. | Réfuse refúse. Cónvert convért. | Súbject subjéct. Déscant descánt. | Súrvey survéy. Désert desért. | Tórment tormént. Dígest digést. | Tránsfer transfér. Éssay essáy. | Tránsport transpórt.

Walker attributes the change of accent to the influence of the participial termination -ing. All words thus affected are of foreign origin.

IV. Verbs formed from nouns by changing a final _sharp_ consonant into its corresponding _flat_ one; as,

_The_ use _to_ use, _pronounced_ uze. _The_ breath _to_ breathe -- breadhe. _The_ cloth _to_ clothe -- clodhe.

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