CHAPTER XIX.

STRONG VERBS: CLASSES II AND III.

109. #Class II: The “Choose” Conjugation.#

Vowel Succession: ēo, ēa, u, o.

INFINITIVE.[1] PRET. SING. PRET. PLUR.[2] PAST PART.[2]

cēos-an, cēas, cur-on gecor-en, _to choose_.

#Indicative.# #Subjunctive#.

PRESENT. PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic cēos-e _Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū cīest (cēos-est) 2. ðū } cēos-e 3. hē cīest (cēos-eð) 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } _Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } cēos-að 2. gē } cēos-en 3. hīe } 3. hīe }

PRETERIT. PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic cēas _Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū cur-e 2. ðū } cur-e 3. hē cēas 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } _Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } cur-on 2. gē } cur-en 3. hīe } 3. hīe }

#Imperative.# #Infinitive.# #Present Participle.#

_Sing._ 2. cēos cēos-an cēos-ende _Plur._ 1. cēos-an 2. cēos-að

#Gerund.# #Past Participle.#

tō cēos-anne (-enne) gecor-en

[Footnote 1: A few verbs of Class II have ū instead of ēo in the infinitive:

brūcan, brēac, brucon, gebrocen, _to enjoy_ [brook]. būgan, bēag, bugon, gebogen, _to bend, bow_.]

[Footnote 2: By a law known as Grammatical Change, final ð, s, and h of strong verbs generally become d, r, and g, respectively, in the preterit plural and past participle.]

110. #Class III: The “Bind” Conjugation.#

Vowel Succession: {i,e}, a, u, {u,o}.

The present stem ends in m, n, l, r, or h, + one or more consonants:

m: belimp-an, { belǫmp }, belump-on, belump-en, _to belong_. { belamp }

n: bind-an, { bǫnd }, bund-on, gebund-en, _to bind_. { band }

l: help-an, healp, hulp-on, geholp-en, _to help_.

r: weorð-an, wearð, wurd-on, geword-en, _to become_.

h: gefeoht-an, gefeaht, gefuht-on, gefoht-en, _to fight_.

NOTE 1.--If the present stem ends in a nasal (m, n) + a consonant, the past participle retains the u of the pret. plur.; but if the present stem ends in a liquid (l, r) or h, + a consonant, the past participle has o instead of u.

NOTE 2.--Why do we not find #*halp#, #*warð#, and #*faht# in the pret. sing.? Because a before l, r, or h, + a consonant, underwent “breaking” to ea. Breaking also changes every e followed by r or h, + a consonant, to eo: #weorðan# (< #*werðan#), feohtan (< #*fehtan#).

111. #Indicative.# #Subjunctive.#

PRESENT. PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic bind-e _Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū bintst (bind-est) 2. ðū } bind-e 3. hē bint (bind-eð) 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } _Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } bind-að 2. gē } bind-en 3. hīe } 3. hīe }

PRETERIT. PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic bǫnd _Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū bund-e 2. ðū } bund-e 3. hē bǫnd 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } _Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } bund-on 2. gē } bund-en 3. hīe } 3. hīe }

#Imperative.# #Infinitive.# #Present Participle.#

_Sing._ 2. bind bind-an bind-ende _Plur._ 1. bind-an 2. bind-að

#Gerund.# #Past Participle.#

tō bind-anne (-enne) gebund-en

112. VOCABULARY.

ðæt gefeoht, _fight, battle_. sēo geręcednes, _narration_ [#ręccan#]. ðæt gesceap, _creation_ [#scieppan#]. sēo hęrgung (§ 39, (3)), _harrying, plundering_ [#hęrgian#]. sē medu (medo) (§ 51), _mead_. sēo meolc, _milk_. sē middangeard, _world_ [middle-yard]. sē munuc, _monk_ [monachus]. sēo mȳre, mare [#mearh#]. hē sǣde, _he said_. hīe sǣdon, _they said_. sēo spēd, _riches_ [speed]. spēdig, _rich, prosperous_ [speedy]. sēo tīd, _time_ [tide]. unspēdig, _poor_. sē westanwind, _west-wind_. ðæt wīn, _wine_.

ārīsan, ārās, ārison, ārisen, _to arise_. bīdan, bād, bidon, gebiden, _to remain, expect_ (with gen.) drēogan,[3] drēag, drugon, gedrogen, _to endure, suffer_. drincan, drǫnc, druncon, gedruncen, _to drink_. findan, fǫnd, fundon, gefunden, _to find_. geswīcan geswāc, geswicon, geswicen, _to cease, cease from_ (with gen.) iernan (yrnan), ǫrn, urnon, geurnen, _to run_. onginnan, ongǫnn, ongunnon, ongunnen, _to begin_. rīdan, rād, ridon, geriden, _to ride_. singan, sǫng, sungon, gesungen, _to sing_. wrītan, wrāt, writon, gewriten, _to write_.

[Footnote 3: _Cf._ the Scotch “to _dree_ one’s weird” = _to endure one’s fate_.]

113. EXERCISES.

I. 1. Æfter ðissum wordum, sē munuc wrāt ealle ðā geręcednesse on ānre bēc. 2. Ðā eorlas ridon ūp ǣr ðǣm ðe ðā Dęne ðæs gefeohtes geswicen. 3. Cædmon sǫng ǣrest be middangeardes gesceape. 4. Sē cyning ǫnd ðā rīcostan męn drincað mȳran meolc, ǫnd ðā unspēdigan drincað medu. 5. Ǫnd hē ārās ǫnd sē wind geswāc. 6. Hīe sǣdon ðæt hīe ðǣr westwindes biden. 7. Hwæt is nū mā ymbe ðās ðing tō sprecanne? 8. Ðā sęcgas ongunnon geswīcan ðǣre hęrgunga. 9. Ðā bēag ðæt lǫnd ðǣr ēastryhte, oððe sēo sǣ in on ðæt lǫnd. 10. Ðās lǫnd belimpað tō, ðǣm Ęnglum. 11. Ðēah ðā Dęne ealne dæg gefuhten, gīet hæfde Ælfred cyning sige. 12. Ǫnd ðæs (afterwards) ymbe ānne mōnað gefeaht Ælfred cyning wið ealne ðone hęre æt Wiltūne.

II. 1. The most prosperous men drank mare’s milk and wine, but the poor men drank mead. 2. I suffered many things before you began to help me (dat.). 3. About two days afterwards (#Ðæs ymbe twēgen dagas#), the plundering ceased. 4. The king said that he fought against all the army (#hęre#). 5. Although the Danes remained one month (§ 98, (1)), they did not begin to fight. 6. These gifts belonged to my brother. 7. The earls were glad because their lord was (indicative) with them. 8. What did you find? 9. Then wrote he about (#be#) the wise man’s deeds. 10. What more is there to endure?