Anglo-Saxon Primer, With Grammar, Notes, and Glossary Eighth Edition Revised
Part 2
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom[3]._ st[=a]n (_stone_). _Nom._ st[=a]n-as. _Dat._ st[=a]n-e. _Dat._ st[=a]n-um. _Gen._ st[=a]n-es. _Gen._ st[=a]n-a.
So also _d[=ae]l_ (part), _cyning_ (king), _[.c]ildh[=a]d_ (childhood).
_dae[.g]_ (day) changes its vowel in the pl. (p. 5):--_dae[.g]_, _dae[.g]e_, _dae[.g]es_; _dagas_, _dagum_, _daga_.
Nouns in _-e_ have nom. and dat. sing. the same:--_[e,]nde_, (end), _[e,]nde_, _[e,]ndes_; _[e,]ndas_, _[e,]ndum_, _[e,]nda_.
Nouns in _-el_, _-ol_, _-um_, _-en_, _-on_, _-er_, _-or_ often contract:--_[e,]n[.g]el_ (angel), _[e,]n[.g]le_, _[e,]n[.g]les_; _[e,]n[.g]las_, _[e,]n[.g]lum_, _[e,]n[.g]la_. So also _nae[.g]el_ (nail), _the[.g]en_ (thane), _ealdor_ (prince). Others, such as _aecer_ (field), do not contract.
_h_ after a consonant is dropped in inflection (p. 7), as in _feorh_ (life), _f[=e]ore_, _f[=e]ores_. So also in _Wealh_ (Welshman), plur. _W[=e]alas_.
There are other classes which are represented only by a few nouns each.
(2) e-plurals.
A few nouns which occur only in the plur.:--_l[=e]ode_ (people), _l[=e]odum_, _l[=e]oda_. So also several names of nations:--_[E,]n[.g]le_ (English), _D[e,]ne_ (Danes); _Seaxe_ (Saxons), _Mier[.c]e_ (Mercians), have gen. plur. _Seaxna_, _Mier[.c]na_.
(3) Mutation-plurals.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ f[=o]t (_foot_). _Nom._ f[=e]t. _Dat._ f[=e]t. _Dat._ f[=o]t-um. _Gen._ f[=o]t-es. _Gen._ f[=o]t-a.
So also _t[=o]th_ (tooth). _Mann_ (man), _m[e,]nn_, _mannes_; _m[e,]nn_, _mannum_, _manna_.
{10}
(4) u-nouns.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ sun-u (_son_). _Nom._ sun-a. _Dat._ sun-a. _Dat._ sun-um. _Gen._ sun-a. _Gen._ sun-a.
So also _wudu_ (wood).
(5) r-nouns (including feminines).
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ m[=o]dor (_mother_). _Nom._ m[=o]dor. _Dat._ m[=e]der. _Dat._ m[=o]dr-um. _Gen._ m[=o]dor. _Gen._ m[=o]dr-a.
So also _br[=o]thor_ (brother); _faeder_ (father), _dohtor_ (daughter), have dat. sing. _faeder_, _dehter_.
(6) nd-nouns.
Formed from the present participle of verbs.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ fr[=e]ond (_friend_). _Nom._ fr[=i]end. _Dat._ fr[=i]end. _Dat._ fr[=e]ond-um. _Gen._ fr[=e]ond-es. _Gen._ fr[=e]ond-a.
So also _f[=e]ond_ (enemy).
Those in _-end_ inflect thus:--_b[=u]end_ (dweller), _b[=u]end_, _b[=u]endes_; _b[=u]end_, _b[=u]endum_, _b[=u]endra_. So also _H[=ae]lend_ (saviour). The _-ra_ is an adjectival inflection.
STRONG NEUTERS.
(1) u-plurals.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ s[.c]ip (_ship_). _Nom._ s[.c]ip-u. _Dat._ s[.c]ip-e. _Dat._ s[.c]ip-um. _Gen._ s[.c]ip-es. _Gen._ s[.c]ip-a.
So all neuters with short final syllable, such as _[.g]e.bed_ (prayer), _[.g]e.writ_ (writing), _[.g]eat_ (gate). {11}
_Faet_ (vessel), _faete_, _faetes_; _fatu_, _fatum_, _fata_ (p. 5).
_R[=i][.c]e_ (kingdom), _r[=i][.c]e_, _r[=i][.c]es_; _r[=i][.c]u_, _r[=i][.c]um_, _r[=i][.c]a_. So also all neuters in _e_, except _[=e]age_ and _[=e]are_ (p. 13): _[.g]e.th[=e]ode_ (language), _sty[.c][.c]e_ (piece).
Those in _-ol_, _-en_, _-or_, &c. are generally contracted:--_d[=e]ofol_ (devil), _d[=e]ofles_, _d[=e]oflu_. So also _w[=ae]pen_ (weapon), _mynster_ (monastery), _wundor_ (wonder).
(2) Unchanged plurals.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ h[=u]s (_house_). _Nom._ h[=u]s. _Dat._ h[=u]s-e. _Dat._ h[=u]s-um. _Gen._ h[=u]s-es. _Gen._ h[=u]s-a.
So all others with long final syllables (that is, containing a long vowel, or a short vowel followed by more than one consonant), such as _bearn_ (child), _folc_ (nation), _w[=i]f_ (woman).
_Feoh_ (money) drops its _h_ in inflection and lengthens the _eo_:--_feoh_, _f[=e]o_, _f[=e]os_. So also _bleoh_ (colour).
STRONG FEMININES.
(1) a-plurals.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. (a) _Nom._ [.g]ief-u (_gift_). _Nom._ [.g]ief-a. _Acc._ [.g]ief-e. _Acc._ [.g]ief-a. _Dat._ [.g]ief-e. _Dat._ [.g]ief-um. _Gen._ [.g]ief-e. _Gen._ [.g]ief-ena.
So also _lufu_ (love), _scamu_ (shame). _Duru_ (door) is an _u_-noun: it has acc. _duru_, d., g. _dura_, g. pl. _dura_. Observe that all these nouns have a short syllable before the final vowel. When it is long, the _u_ is dropped, and the noun falls under (_b_). {12}
SINGULAR. PLURAL. (_b_) _Nom._ spr[=ae][.c] (_speech_). _Nom._ spr[=ae][.c]-a. _Acc._ spr[=ae][.c]-e. _Acc._ spr[=ae][.c]-a. _Dat._ spr[=ae][.c]-e. _Dat._ spr[=ae][.c]-um. _Gen._ spr[=ae][.c]-e. _Gen._ spr[=ae][.c]-a.
So also _str[=ae]t_ (street), _sorg_ (sorrow). Some have the acc. sing. the same as the nom., such as _d[=ae]d_, _hand_, _miht_.
Those in _-ol_, _-er_, _-or_, &c. contract:--_s[=a]wol_ (soul), _s[=a]wle_, _s[=a]wla_, _s[=a]wlum_. So also _[.c]easter_ (city), _hl[=ae]dder_ (ladder).
Some in _-en_ double the _n_ in inflection:--_byrthen_ (burden), _byrthenne_. So also those in _-r[=ae]den_, such as _hierdr[=ae]den_ (guardianship). Those in _-nes_ also double the _s_ in inflection: _g[=o]dnes_ (goodness), _g[=o]dnesse_.
(2) Mutation-plurals.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ b[=o]c (_book_). _Nom._ b[=e][.c]. _Dat._ b[=e][.c]. _Dat._ b[=o]c-um. _Gen._ b[=e][.c]. _Gen._ b[=o]c-a.
_Burg_ (city), _byri[.g]_, _burge_; _byri[.g]_, _burgum_, _burga_.
(3) Indeclinable.
SINGULAR. _Nom._ bieldo (_boldness_). _Dat._ bieldo. _Gen._ bieldo.
So also _ieldo_ (age).
For _r_-nouns, see under Masculines.
WEAK MASCULINES.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ nam-a (_name_). _Nom._ nam-an. _Acc._ nam-an. _Acc._ nam-an. _Dat._ nam-an. _Dat._ nam-um. _Gen._ nam-an. _Gen._ nam-ena.
{13}
So also all nouns in _-a_:--_[.g]e.f[=e]ra_ (companion), _guma_ (man), _[.g]e.l[=e]afa_ (belief). _Ieldran_ (elders) occurs only in the plural.
_[.G]e.f[=e]a_ (joy) is contracted throughout:--_[.g]ef[=e]a_, _[.g]ef[=e]an_.
WEAK NEUTERS.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ [=e]ag-e (_eye_). _Nom._ [=e]ag-an. _Acc._ [=e]ag-e. _Acc._ [=e]ag-an. _Dat._ [=e]ag-an. _Dat._ [=e]ag-um. _Gen._ [=e]ag-an. _Gen._ [=e]ag-ena.
So also _[=e]are_ 'ear.'
WEAK FEMININES.
SINGULAR. PLURAL. _Nom._ sunn-e (_sun_). _Nom._ sunn-an. _Acc._ sunn-an. _Acc._ sunn-an. _Dat._ sunn-an. _Dat._ sunn-um. _Gen._ sunn-an. _Gen._ sunn-ena.
So also _[.c]iri[.c]e_ (church), _f[=ae]mne_ (virgin), _heorte_ (heart).
_L[=e]o_ (lion) has acc., &c. _l[=e]on_.
PROPER NAMES.
Native names of persons are declined like other nouns:--_Aelfred_, gen. _Aelfredes_, dat. _Aelfrede_; _[=E]ad-burg_ (fem.), gen. _[=E]adburge_, &c.
Foreign names of persons sometimes follow the analogy of native names, thus _Cr[=i]st_, _Salomon_ have gen. _Cr[=i]stes_, _Salomones_, dat. _Cr[=i]ste_, _Salomone_. Sometimes they are declined as in Latin, especially those in _-us_, but often with a mixture of English endings, and the Latin endings are used {14} somewhat loosely, the accus. ending being often extended to the other oblique cases; thus we find nom. _C[=y]rus_, gen. _C[=y]res_, acc. _C[=y]rum_, dat. _C[=y]rum_ (th[=ae]m cyninge C[=y]rum).
Almost the only names of countries and districts in Old English are those taken from Latin, such as _Breten_ (Britain), _C[e,]nt_ (Kent), _[.G]erm[=a]nia_ (Germany), and those formed by composition, generally with _land_, such as _[E,]n[.g]la-land_ (land of the English, England), _Isr.ah[=e]la-th[=e]od_ (Israel). In both of these cases the first element is in the gen. pl., but ordinary compounds, such as _Scot-land_, also occur. In other cases the name of the inhabitants of a country is used for the country itself:--_on [=E]ast-[e,]n[.g]lum_ = in East-anglia, lit. 'among the East-anglians.' So also _on Angel-cynne_ = in England, lit. 'among the English race,' more accurately expressed by _Angelcynnes land_.
Uncompounded names of countries are sometimes undeclined. Thus we find _on C[e,]nt_, _t[=o] Hierusal[=e]m_.
_[.G]erm[=a]nia_, _Asia_, and other foreign names in _-a_ take _-e_ in the oblique cases, thus gen. _[.G]erm[=a]nie_.
* * * * *
ADJECTIVES.
Adjectives have three genders, and the same cases as nouns, though with partly different endings, together with strong and weak inflection. In the masc. and neut. sing. they have an _instrumental_ case, for which in the fem. and plur., and in the weak inflection the dative is used.
STRONG ADJECTIVES.
Adjectives with a short syllable before the endings take _-u_ in the fem. sing. nom. and neut. pl. nom., those with a long one drop it. {15}
SINGULAR. Masc. Neut. Fem. (_a_) _Nom._ cwic (_alive_), cwic, cwic-u. _Acc._ cwic-ne, cwic, cwic-e. _Dat._ cwic-um, cwic-um, cwic-re. _Gen._ cwic-es, cwic-es, cwic-re. _Instr._ cwic-e, cwic-e. (cwicre).
PLURAL. _Nom._ cwic-e, cwic-u, cwic-e. \____________________ ______________/ \/ _Dat._ cwic-um. _Gen._ cwic-ra.
So also _sum_ (some), _f[=ae]rlic_ (dangerous).
Those with _ae_, such as _glaed_ (glad), change it to _a_ in dat. _gladum_, &c.
Those in _-e_, such as _bl[=i]the_ (glad), drop it in all inflections:--_bl[=i]thne_, _bl[=i]thu_, _bl[=i]thre_.
Those in _-ig_, _-el_, _-ol_, _-en_, _-er_, _-or_ often contract before inflections beginning with a vowel, as in _h[=a]li[.g]_ (holy), _h[=a]lges_, _h[=a]lgum_; _mi[.c]el_ (great), _mi[.c]lu_, _mi[.c]le_. Not, of course, before consonants:--_h[=a]li[.g]ne_, _mi[.c]elne_, _mi[.c]elra_.
Those in _-u_, such as _[.g]earu_ (ready), change the _u_ into a _w_ before vowels:--_[.g]earwes_, _[.g]earwe_.
Adjectives with long syllable before the endings drop the _u_ of the fem. and neuter:--
Masc. Neut. Fem. (_b_) _Nom. Sing._ g[=o]d (_good_), g[=o]d, g[=o]d. _Plur._ g[=o]de, g[=o]d, g[=o]de.
_F[=e]a_ (few) has only the plural inflections, dat. _f[=e]am_, gen. _f[=e]ara_.
_H[=e]ah_ (high) drops its second _h_ in inflection and contracts:--_h[=e]are_, nom. pl. _h[=e]a_, dat. _h[=e]am_, acc. sing. masc. _h[=e]anne_.
_Fela_ (many) is indeclinable. {16}
WEAK ADJECTIVES.
The weak inflections of adjectives agree exactly with the noun ones:-
SINGULAR. Masc. Neut. Fem. _Nom._ g[=o]d-a, g[=o]d-e, g[=o]d-e. _Acc._ g[=o]d-an, g[=o]d-e, g[=o]d-an. _Dat._ g[=o]d-an, g[=o]d-an, g[=o]d-an. _Gen._ g[=o]d-an, g[=o]d-an, g[=o]d-an. \________________ __________________/ \/ PLURAL. _Nom._ g[=o]d-an. _Dat._ g[=o]d-um. _Gen._ g[=o]d-ra.
The vowel- and consonant-changes are as in the strong declension.
COMPARISON.
The comparative is formed by adding _-ra_, and is declined like a weak adjective:--_l[=e]of_ (dear), _l[=e]ofra_ masc., _l[=e]ofre_ fem., _l[=e]ofran_ plur., etc.; _m[=ae]re_ (famous), _m[=ae]rra_. The superlative is formed by adding _-ost_, and may be either weak or strong:--_l[=e]ofost_ (dearest).
The following form their comparisons with mutation, with superlative in _-est_ (the forms in parentheses are adverbs):--
eald (_old_), ieldra, ieldest. lang (_long_), l[e,]n[.g]ra, l[e,]n[.g]est. n[=e]ah (_near_), (n[=e]ar), n[=i]ehst. h[=e]ah (_high_), h[=i]erra, h[=i]ehst.
The following show different roots:--
g[=o]d (_good_), b[e,]tera, b[e,]tst. yfel (_evil_), wiersa, wierrest. mi[.c]el (_great_), m[=a]ra (m[=a]), m[=ae]st. l[=y]tel (_little_), l[=ae]ssa (l[=ae]s), l[=ae]st.
{17}
The following are defective as well as irregular, being formed from adverbs:--
[=ae]r (_formerly_), [=ae]rra ([=ae]ror), [=ae]rest. fore (_before_), . . . forma, fyrmest. [=u]t (_out_), [=y]terra, [=y]temest.
NUMERALS.
CARDINAL. ORDINAL. [=a]n, _one_. forma (_first_). tw[=a], _two_. [=o]ther. thr[=e]o, _three_. thridda. f[=e]ower, _four_. f[=e]ortha. f[=i]f, _five_. f[=i]f-ta. siex, _six_. siex-ta. seofon, _seven_. seofotha. eahta, _eight_. eahtotha. nigon, _nine_. nigotha. t[=i]en, _ten_. t[=e]otha. [e,]ndlufon, _eleven_. [e,]ndlyf-ta. tw[e,]lf, _twelve_. tw[=e,]lf-ta. thr[=e]o-t[=i]ene, _thirteen_. thr[=e]o-t[=e]otha. f[=e]ower-t[=i]ene, _fourteen_. f[=i]f-t[=i]ene, _fifteen_. siex-t[=i]ene, _sixteen_. seofon-t[=i]ene, _seventeen_. eahta-t[=i]ene, _eighteen_. nigon-t[=i]ene, _nineteen_. tw[e,]n-ti[.g], _twenty_. thri-ti[.g], _thirty_. f[=e]ower-ti[.g], _forty_. f[=i]f-ti[.g], _fifty_. siex-ti[.g], _sixty_. {18} hund-.seofon-ti[.g], _seventy_. hund-.eahta-ti[.g], _eighty_. hund-.nigon-ti[.g], _ninety_. hund } _hundred_. hund-.t[=e]onti[.g], } hund-.[e,]ndlufonti[.g], _hundred and ten_. hund-.tw[e,]lfti[.g], _hundred and twenty_. th[=u]send, _thousand_.
_[=A]n_ is declined like other adjectives.
_Tw[=a]_ is declined thus:--
Masc. Neut. Fem. _Nom._ tw[=e][.g]en, tw[=a], tw[=a]. \__________________ ___________________/ \/ _Dat._ tw[=ae]m. _Gen._ tw[=e][.g]ra.
So also _b[=e][.g]en_ (both), _b[=a]_, _b[=ae]m_, _b[=e][.g]ra_.
_Thr[=e]o_ is declined thus:--
Masc. Neut. Fem. _Nom._ thr[=i]e, thr[=e]o, thr[=e]o. \_____________ _______________/ \/ _Dat._ thrim. _Gen._ thr[=e]ora.
The others up to _tw[e,]nti[.g]_ are generally indeclinable. Those in _-ti[.g]_ are sometimes declined like neuter nouns, sometimes like adjectives, and are often left undeclined. When not made into adjectives they govern the genitive.
_Hund_ and _th[=u]send_ are either declined as neuters or left undeclined, always taking a genitive:--_eahta hund m[=i]la_ (eight hundred miles), _f[=e]ower th[=u]send wera_ (four thousand men).
Units are always put before tens:--_[=a]n and tw[e,]nti[.g]_ (twenty-one). {19}
The ordinals are always weak, except _[=o]ther_, which is always strong.
* * * * *
PRONOUNS.
PERSONAL.
SINGULAR. _Nom._ i[.c] (_I_), th[=u] (_thou_). _Acc._ m[=e], th[=e]. _Dat._ m[=e], th[=e]. _Gen._ m[=i]n, th[=i]n.
DUAL. _Nom._ wit (_we two_), [.g]it (_ye two_). _Acc._ unc, inc. _Dat._ unc, inc. _Gen._ uncer, incer.
PLURAL. _Nom._ w[=e] (_we_), [.g][=e] (_ye_). _Acc._ [=u]s, [=e]ow. _Dat._ [=u]s, [=e]ow. _Gen._ [=u]re, [=e]ower.
SINGULAR. Masc. Neut. Fem. _Nom._ h[=e] (_he_), hit (_it_), h[=e]o (_she_). _Acc._ hine, hit, h[=i]e. _Dat._ him, him, hiere. _Gen._ his, his, hiere. \_________________ _________________/ \/ PLURAL. _Nom._ h[=i]e (_they_). _Dat._ him. _Gen._ hiera.
There are no reflexive pronouns in O.E., and the ordinary {20} personal pronouns are used instead:--_h[=i]e [.g]e.samnodon h[=i]e_ (they collected themselves, assembled); _h[=i]e [=a].b[=ae]don him w[=i]f_ (they asked for wives for themselves). _Self_ is used as an emphatic reflexive adjective agreeing with its pronoun:--_sw[=a] sw[=a] h[=i]e w[=y]s[.c]ton him selfum_ (as they wished for themselves).
POSSESSIVE.
_M[=i]n_ (my), _th[=i]n_ (thy), _[=u]re_ (our), _[=e]ower_ (your), and the dual _uncer_ and _incer_ are declined like other adjectives. The genitives _his_ (his, its), _hiere_ (her), _hiera_ (their) are used as indeclinable possessives.
INTERROGATIVE.
Masc. and Fem. Neut. _Nom._ hw[=a] (_who_), hwaet (_what_). _Acc._ hwone, hwaet. _Dat._ hw[=ae]m, hw[=ae]m. _Gen._ hwaes, hwaes. _Instr._ hw[=y], hw[=y].
_Hwelc_ (which) is declined like a strong adjective: it is used both as a noun and an adjective.
DEMONSTRATIVE.
SINGULAR. Masc. Neut. Fem. _Nom._ se (_that_, _the_), thaet, s[=e]o. _Acc._ thone, thaet, th[=a]. _Dat._ th[=ae]m, th[=ae]m, th[=ae]re. _Gen._ thaes, thaes, th[=ae]re. _Instr._ th[=y], thon, th[=y], (th[=ae]re). \_______________________ __________________/ \/ PLURAL. _Nom._ th[=a]. _Dat._ th[=ae]m. _Gen._ th[=a]ra.
{21}
_Se_ is both a demonstrative and a definite article. It is also used as a personal pronoun:--_h[=e] [.g]e.h[=i]erth m[=i]n word, and wyr[.c]th th[=a]_ (he hears my words, and does them). _S[=e]_ as a demonstrative and pers. pronoun has its vowel long.
SINGULAR. Masc. Neut. Fem. _Nom._ thes (_this_), this, th[=e]os. _Acc._ thisne, this, th[=a]s. _Dat._ thissum, thissum, thisse. _Gen._ thisses, thisses, thisse. _Instr._ th[=y]s, th[=y]s. (thisse). \__________________ ______________/ \/ PLURAL. _Nom._ th[=a]s. _Dat._ thissum. _Gen._ thissa.
Other demonstratives, which are used both as nouns and as adjectives, are _se ilca_ (same), which is always weak, _swelc_ (such), which is always strong.
RELATIVE.
The regular relative is the indeclinable _the_, as in _[=ae]lc th[=a]ra the th[=a]s m[=i]n word [.g]e.h[=i]erth_ (each of those who hears these my words). It is often combined with _s[=e]_, which is declined:--_s[=e] the_ = who, masc., _s[=e]o the_, fem., &c. _S[=e]_ alone is also used as a relative:--_h[=e]r is m[=i]n cnapa, thone ic [.g]e.[.c][=e]as_ (here is my servant, whom I have chosen); sometimes in the sense of 'he who':--_h[=e]r th[=u] haefst thaet th[=i]n is_ (here thou hast that which is thine).
INDEFINITE.
Indefinites are formed with _sw[=a]_ and the interrogative pronouns, thus:--_sw[=a] hw[=a] sw[=a]_, _sw[=a] hwel[.c] sw[=a]_ (whoever), _sw[=a] hwaet sw[=a]_ (whatever). {22}
_[=A]n_ and _sum_ (some) are used in an indefinite sense:--_[=a]n mann_, _sum mann_ = 'a certain man,' hence 'a man.' But the indefinite article is generally not expressed.
_[=Ae]l[.c]_ (each), _[=ae]ni[.g]_ (any), _n[=ae]ni[.g]_ (no, none), are declined like other adjectives.
_[=O]ther_ (other) is always strong:--_th[=a] [=o]thre m[e,]nn_.
_Man_, another form of _mann_, is often used in the indefinite sense of 'one,' French _on_:--_his br[=o]thor Horsan man of.sl[=o]g_ (they killed his brother Horsa).
* * * * *
VERBS.
There are two classes of verbs in O.E., _strong_ and _weak_. The conjugation of strong verbs is effected mainly by means of vowel-gradation, that of weak verbs by the addition of _d_ (-ode, -ede, -de) to the root-syllable.
The following is the conjugation of the strong verb _bindan_ (bind), which will serve to show the endings which are common to all verbs:--
INDICATIVE. SUBJUNCTIVE. _Pres. sing._ 1. bind-e, bind-e. 2. bind-est, bintst, bind-e. 3. bind-eth, bint, bind-e. _plur._ bind-ath, bind-en.
_Pret. sing._ 1. band, bund-e. 2. bund-e, bund-e. 3. band, bund-e. _plur._ bund-on, bund-en.
_Imper. sing._ bind; _plur._ bind-ath. _Infin._ bind-an. _Partic. pres._ bind-ende; _pret._ [.g]e-.bund-en. _Gerund._ t[=o] bind-enne.
For the plural _bindath_, both indicative and imperative, _binde_ is used when the personal pronoun follows immediately after {23} the verb:--_w[=e] bindath_ (we bind), but _binde w[=e]_ (let us bind); so also _g[=a]th!_ (go plur.), but _g[=a] [.g][=e]!_ (go ye).
The present participle may be declined like an adjective. Its declension when used as a noun is given above, p. 10.
The past participle generally prefixes _[.g]e-_, as in _[.g]e.bunden_, _[.g]e.numen_ from _niman_ (take), unless the other parts of the verbs have it already, as in _[.g]e.h[=i]eran_ (hear), _[.g]e.h[=i]ered_. It is sometimes prefixed to other parts of the verb as well. No _[.g]e_ is added if the verb has another prefix, such as _[=a]-_, _be-_, _for-_; thus _for.[.g]iefan_ (forgive) has the past participle _for.[.g]iefen_. The past participle may be declined like an adjective.
Traces of an older passive voice are preserved in the form _h[=a]t-te_ from _h[=a]tan_ (call, name), which is both present 'is called,' and preterite 'was called':--_se munuc h[=a]tte Abbo_ (the monk's name was Abbo).
STRONG VERBS.
In the strong verbs the plural of the pret. indic. generally has a different vowel from that of the sing. (_ic band_, _w[=e] bundon_). The 2nd sing. pret. indic. and the whole pret. subj. always have the vowel of the preterite plural indicative (_th[=u] bunde, ic bunde, w[=e] bunden_.)
The 2nd and 3rd persons sing. of the pres. indic. often mutate the root-vowel, thus:--
a _becomes_ [e,] _as in_ (h[=e]) st[e,]nt _from_ standan (_stand_). ea " ie " fielth " feallan (_fall_). e " i " cwithth " cwethan (_say_). eo " ie " wierth " weorthan (_happen_). [=a] " [=ae] " h[=ae]tt " h[=a]tan (_command_). [=o] " [=e] " gr[=e]wth " gr[=o]wan (_grow_). [=e]a " [=i]e " h[=i]ewth " h[=e]awan (_hew_). [=e]o " [=i]e " [.c][=i]est " [.c][=e]osan (_choose_). [=u] " [=y] " l[=y]cth " l[=u]can (_close_).
{24}
The full ending of the 3rd pers. sing. pres. indic. is _-eth_, which is generally contracted, with the following consonant-changes:--