Chapter 25

WEAK VERBS (§ 18).

122. The verbs belonging to the Weak Conjugation are generally of more recent origin than the strong verbs, being frequently formed from the roots of strong verbs. The Weak Conjugation was the growing conjugation in O.E. as it is in Mn.E. We instinctively put our newly coined or borrowed words into this conjugation (_telegraphed_, _boycotted_); and children, by the analogy of weak verbs, say _runned_ for _ran_, _seed_ for _saw_, _teared_ for _tore_, _drawed_ for _drew_, and _growed_ for _grew_. So, for example, when Latin _dictāre_ and _breviāre_ came into O.E., they came as weak verbs, #dihtian# and #brēfian#.

#The Three Classes of Weak Verbs.#

123. There is no difficulty in telling, from the infinitive alone, to which of the three classes a weak verb belongs. Class III has been so invaded by Class II that but three important verbs remain to it: #habban#, _to have_; #libban#, _to live_; and #sęcgan#, _to say_. Distinction is to be made, therefore, only between Classes II and I. Class II contains the verbs with infinitive in -ian not preceded by r. Class I contains the remaining weak verbs; that is, those with infinitive in #-r-ian# and those with infinitive in -an (not -ian).

#Class I.#

124. The preterit singular and past participle of Class I end in -ede and -ed, or -de and -ed respectively.

NOTE.--The infinitives of this class ended originally in -jan (= -ian). This accounts for the prevalence of i-umlaut in these verbs, and also for the large number of short-voweled stems ending in a double consonant (§ 115, Note 2). The weak verb is frequently the causative of the corresponding strong verb. In such cases, the root of the weak verb corresponds in form to the preterit singular of the strong verb: Mn.E. _drench_ (= _to make drink_), _lay_ (= _to make lie_), _rear_ (= _to make rise_), and _set_ (= _to make sit_), are the umlauted forms of #drǫnc# (preterit singular of #drincan#), #læg# (preterit singular of #licgan#), #rās# (preterit singular of #rīsan#), and #sæt# (preterit singular of #sittan#).

#Preterit and Past Participle in _-ede_ and _-ed_.#

125. Verbs with infinitive in -an preceded by ri- or the double consonants mm, nn, ss, bb, cg (= gg), add -ede for the preterit, and -ed for the past participle, the double consonant being always made single:

ri: nęri-an, nęr-ede, genęr-ed, _to save_. mm: fręmm-an, fręm-ede, gefręm-ed, _to perform_ [frame]. nn: ðęnn-an, ðęn-ede, geðęn-ed, _to extend_. ss: cnyss-an, cnys-ede, gecnys-ed, _to beat_. bb: swębb-an, swęf-ede, geswęf-ed, _to put to sleep_. cg: węcg-an, węg-ede, gewęg-ed, _to agitate_.

NOTE.--#Lęcgan#, _to lay_, is the only one of these verbs that syncopates the e: #lęcgan#, #lęgde# (#lēde#), #gelęgd# (#gelēd#), instead of #lęgede#, #gelęged#.

#Preterit and Past Participle in _-de_ and _-ed_.#

126. All the other verbs belonging to Class I. add -de for the preterit and -ed for the past participle. This division includes, therefore, all stems long by nature (§ 10, (3), (_a_)):

dǣl-an, dǣl-de, gedǣl-ed, _to deal out, divide_ [dǣl]. dēm-an, dēm-de, gedēm-ed, _to judge_ [dōm]. grēt-an, grēt-te, gegrēt-ed, _to greet_. hīer-an, hīer-de, gehīer-ed, _to hear_. lǣd-an, lǣd-de, gelǣd-ed, _to lead_.

NOTE 1.--A preceding voiceless consonant (§ 9, Note) changes -de into -te: #*grēt-de# > #grēt-te#; #*mēt-de# > #mēt-te#; #*īec-de# > #īec-te#. Syncope and contraction are also frequent in the participles: #gegrēt-ed# > #*gegrēt-d# > #gegrēt(t)#; #gelǣd-ed# > #gelǣd(d)#.

NOTE 2.--#Būan#, _to dwell, cultivate_, has an admixture of strong forms in the past participle: #būan#, #būde#, #gebūd# (#bȳn#, #gebūn#). The present participle survives in Mn.E. _husband_ = _house-dweller_.

127. It includes, also, all stems long by position (§ 10, (3), (_b_)) except those in mm, nn, ss, bb, and cg (§ 125):

sęnd-an, sęnd-e, gesęnd-ed, _to send_. sętt-an, sęt-te, gesęt-ed, _to set_ [sittan]. sigl-an, sigl-de, gesigl-ed, _to sail_. spęnd-an, spęnd-e, gespęnd-ed, _to spend_. trędd-an, tręd-de, getręd-ed, _to tread_.

NOTE.--The participles frequently undergo syncope and contraction: #gesęnded# > #gesęnd#; #gesęted# > #gesęt(t)#; #gespęnded# > #gespęnd#; #getręded# > #getręd(d)#.

#Irregular Verbs of Class I.#

128. There are about twenty verbs belonging to Class I that are irregular in having no umlaut in the preterit and past participle. The preterit ends in -de, the past participle in -d; but, through the influence of a preceding voiceless consonant (§ 9, Note), -ed is generally unvoiced to -te, and -d to -t. The most important of these verbs are as follows:

bring-an, brōh-te, gebrōh-t, _to bring_. byc-gan, boh-te, geboh-t, _to buy_. sēc-an, sōh-te, gesōh-t, _to seek_. sęll-an, seal-de, geseal-d, _to give, sell_ [hand-sel]. tǣc-an, tǣh-te, getǣh-t, _to teach_. tęll-an, teal-de, geteal-d, _to count_ [tell]. ðęnc-an, ðōh-te, geðōh-t, _to think_. ðync-an, ðūh-te, geðūh-t, _to seem_ [methinks]. wyrc-an, worh-te, geworh-t, _to work_.

NOTE.--Such of these verbs as have stems in c or g are frequently written with an inserted e: #bycgean#, #sēcean#, #tǣcean#, etc. This e indicates that c and g have palatal value; that is, are to be followed with a vanishing y-sound. In such cases, O.E. c usually passes into Mn.E. _ch_: #tǣc(e)an# > _to teach_; #rǣc(e)an# > _to reach_; #stręcc(e)an# > _to stretch_. #Sēc(e)an# gives _beseech_ as well as _seek_. See § 8.

#Conjugation of Class I.#

129. Paradigms of #nęrian#, _to save_; #fręmman#, _to perform_; #dǣlan#, _to divide_:

#Indicative.#

PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic nęrie fręmme dǣle 2. ðū nęrest fręmest dǣlst 3. hē nęreð fręmeð dǣlð

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } nęriað fręmmað dǣlað 3. hīe }

PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic nęrede fręmede dǣlde 2. ðū nęredest fręmedest dǣldest 3. hē nęrede fręmede dǣlde

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } nęredon fręmedon dǣldon 3. hīe }

#Subjunctive.#

PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū } nęrie fręmme dǣle 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } nęrien fręmmen dǣlen 3. hīe }

PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū } nęrede fręmede dǣlde 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } nęreden fręmeden dǣlden 3. hīe }

#Imperative.#

_Sing._ 2. nęre fręme dǣl

_Plur._ 1. nęrian fręmman dǣlan 2. nęriað fręmmað dǣlað

#Infinitive.#

nęrian fręmman dǣlan

#Gerund.#

tō nęrianne (-enne) tō fręmmanne (-enne) tō dǣlanne (-enne)

#Present Participle.#

nęriende fręmmende dǣlende

#Past Participle.#

genęred gefręmed gedǣled

NOTE.--The endings of the preterit present no difficulties; in the 2d and 3d singular present, however, the student will observe (_a_) that double consonants in the stem are made single: #fręmest#, #fręmeð# (not #*freęmmest#, #*freęmmeð#); #ðęnest#, #ðęneð#; #sętest# (#sętst#), #seęteð# (#sętt#); #fylst#, #fylð#, from #fyllan#, _to fill_; (_b_) that syncope is the rule in stems long by nature: #dǣlst# (< #dǣlest#), #dǣlð# (< #dǣleð#); #dēmst# (< #dēmest#), #dēmð# (< #dēmeð#); #hīerst# (< #hīerest#), #hīerð# (< #hīereð#). Double consonants are also made single in the imperative 2d singular and in the past participle. Stems long by nature take no final -e in the imperative: #dǣl#, #hīer#, #dēm#.

#Class II.#

130. The infinitive of verbs belonging to this class ends in -ian (not #-r-ian#), the preterit singular in -ode, the past participle in -od. The preterit plural usually has #-edon#, however, instead of #-odon#:

eard-ian, eard-ode, geeard-od, _to dwell_ [eorðe]. luf-ian, luf-ode, geluf-od, _to love_ [lufu]. rīcs-ian, rīcs-ode, gerīcs-od, _to rule_ [rīce]. sealf-ian, sealf-ode, gesealf-od, _to anoint_ [salve]. segl-ian, segl-ode, gesegl-od, _to sail_ [segel].

NOTE.--These verbs have no trace of original umlaut, since their -ian was once #-ōjan#. Hence, the vowel of the stem was shielded from the influence of the j (= i) by the interposition of ō.

#Conjugation of Class II.#

131. Paradigm of #lufian#, _to love_:

#Indicative.# #Subjunctive.#

PRESENT. PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic lufie _Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðu lufast 2. ðū } lufie 3. hē lufað 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } _Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } lufiað 2. gē } lufien 3. hīe } 3. hīe }

PRETERIT. PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic lufode _Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū lufodest 2. ðū } lufode 3. hē lufode 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } _Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } lufedon (-odon) 2. gē } lufeden (-oden) 3. hīe } 3. hīe }

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

_Sing._ 2. lufa lufian lufiende _Plur._ 1. lufian 2. lufiað

#Gerund.# #Past Participle.#

tō lufianne (-enne) gelufod

NOTE 1.--The -ie (-ien) occurring in the present must be pronounced as a dissyllable. The y-sound thus interposed between the i and e is frequently indicated by the letter g: #lufie#, or #lufige#; #lufien#, or #lufigen#. So also for ia: #lufiað#, or #lufigað#; #lufian#, or #lufig(e)an#.

NOTE 2.--In the preterit singular, -ade, -ude, and -ede are not infrequent for -ode.

#Class III.#

132. The few verbs belonging here show a blending of Classes I and II. Like certain verbs of Class I (§ 128), the preterit and past participle are formed by adding -de and -d; like Class II, the 2d and 3d present indicative singular end in -ast and -að, the imperative 2d singular in -a:

habb-an, hæf-de, gehæf-d, _to have_. libb-an, lif-de, gelif-d, _to live_. sęcg-an, sǣd-e (sæg-de), gesǣd (gesæg-d), _to say_.

#Conjugation of Class III.#

133. Paradigms of #habban#, _to have_; #libban#, _to live_; #sęcgan#, _to say_.

#Indicative.#

PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic hæbbe libbe sęcge 2. ðū hæfst (hafast) lifast sægst (sagast) 3. hē hæfð (hafað) lifað sægð (sagað)

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } habbað libbað sęcgað 3. hīe }

PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic hæfde lifde sǣde 2. ðū hæfdest lifdest sǣdest 3. hē hæfde lifde sǣde

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } hæfdon lifdon sǣdon 3. hīe }

#Subjunctive.#

PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū } hæbbe libbe sęcge 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } hæbben libben sęcgen 3. hīe }

PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic } 2. ðū } hæfde lifde sǣde 3. hē }

_Plur._ 1. wē } 2. gē } hæfden lifden sǣden 3. hīe }

#Imperative.#

_Sing._ 2. hafa lifa saga _Plur._ 1. habban libban sęcgan 2. habbað libbað sęcgað

#Infinitive.#

habban libban sęcgan

#Gerund.#

tō habbanne (-enne) tō libbanne (-enne) tō sęcganne (-enne)

#Present Participle.#

hæbbende libbende sęcgende

#Past Participle.#

gehæfd gelifd gesǣd