Chapter 111

Chapter 111700 wordsPublic domain

THE STRONG TENSES.

§ 299. The strong præterites are formed from the present by changing the vowel, as _sing_, _sang_; _speak_, _spoke_.

In Anglo-Saxon, several præterites change, in their plural, the vowel of their singular; as

Ic sang, _I sang_. | We sungon, _we sung_. Þu sunge, _thou sungest_. | Ge sungon, _ye sung_. He sang, _he sang_. | Hi sungon, _they sung_.

The bearing of this fact upon the præterites has already been indicated. In a great number of words we have a double form, as _ran_ and _run_, _sang_ and _sung_, _drank_ and _drunk_, &c. One of these forms is derived from the singular, and the other from the plural.

In cases where but one form is preserved, that form is not necessarily the singular; indeed, it is often the plural;--e.g., Ic fand, _I found_, we fundon, _we found_, are the Anglo-Saxon forms. Now the present word _found_ comes, not from the singular _fand_, but from the plural _fundon_; although in the Lowland Scotch dialect and in the old writers, the _singular_ form occurs;

Donald Caird finds orra things, Where Allan Gregor _fand_ the tings.--SCOTT.

§ 300. The verbs wherein the double form of the present præterite is thus explained, fall into two classes.

1. In the first class, the Anglo-Saxon forms were á in the singular, and i in the plural; as--

This accounts for--

_Present._ _Præt. from Sing. form._ _Præt. from Plur. form._

Rise Rose [54]Ris. Smite Smote Smit. Ride Rode [54]Rid. Stride Strode Strid. Slide [54]Slode Slid. Chide [54]Chode Chid. Drive Drove [54]Driv. Thrive Throve Thriv. Write Wrote Writ. Slit [54]Slat Slit. Bite [54]Bat Bit.

2. In the second class, the Anglo-Saxon forms were a in the singular, and u in the plural, as--

This accounts for--

_Present._ _Præt from Sing. form._ _Præt. from Pl. form._ Swim Swam Swum. Begin Began Begun. Spin [55]Span Spun. Win [55]Wan [56]Won. Sing Sang Sung. Swing [55]Swang Swung. Spring Sprang Sprung. Sting [55]Stang Stung. Ring Rang Rung. Wring [55]Wrang Wrung. Fling Flang Flung. [55]Hing Hang Hung. String [55]Strang Strung. Sink Sank Sunk. Drink Drank Drunk. Shrink Shrank Shrunk. Stink [55]Stank Stunk. Melt [55]Molt -- Help [55]Holp -- Delve [55]Dolv -- Stick [55]Stack Stuck. Run Ran Run. Burst Brast Burst. Bind Band Bound. Find [55]Fand Found.

§ 301. The following double præterites are differently explained. The primary one _often_ (but not _always_) is from the Anglo-Saxon _participle_, the secondary from the Anglo-Saxon _præterite_.

_Present._ _Primary Præterite._ _Secondary Præterite._ Cleave Clove [55]Clave. Steal Stole [55]Stale. Speak Spoke Spake. Swear Swore Sware. Bear Bore Bare. Tear Tore [55]Tare. Wear Wore [55]Ware. Break Broke Brake. Get Got [55]Gat. Tread Trod Trad. Bid Bade Bid. Eat Ate Ete.

§ 302. The following verbs have only a single form for the præterite,--

§ 303. An arrangement of the preceding verbs into classes, according to the change of vowel, is by no means difficult, even in the present stage of the English language. In the Anglo-Saxon, it was easier still. It is also easier in the provincial dialects, than in the literary English. Thus, when

_Break_ is pronounced _Breek_, _Bear_ -- _Beer_, _Tear_ -- _Teer_, _Swear_ -- _Sweer_, _Wear_ -- _Weer_,

as they actually are by many speakers, they come in the same class with,--

_Speak_ pronounced _Speek_, _Cleave_ -- _Cleeve_,

and form their præterite by means of a similar change, i.e., by changing the sound of the ee in _feet_ (spelt ea) into that of the a in _fate_; viewed thus, the irregularity is less than it appears to be at first sight.

Again, _tread_ is pronounced _tredd_, but many provincial speakers say _treed_, and so said the Anglo-Saxons, whose form was _ic trede_ = _I tread_. Their præterite was _træd_. This again subtracts from the apparent irregularity.

Instances of this kind may be multiplied; the whole question, however, of the conjugation of the _strong verbs_ is best considered after the perusal of the next chapter.

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