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Strong Verbs
Strong verbs form their preterite tense (and past participle) by means of a change of the root vowel, inherited from Proto-Indo-European, which is called vowel-gradation or ablaut. Thus for example, ‘ic fare’ meant ‘I go’, ‘ic fōr’ ‘I went’, ‘wē fōron’ ‘we went’. Since however there are often two different vowels in the preterite (‘ic healp’ ‘I helped’ and ‘wē hulpon’ ‘we helped’), with strong verbs it is necessary to distinguish four (instead of three as it is with the weak verbs) principal forms:
1) the Infinitive, or Present Indicative, Ist person, sg.
2) the Preterite Indicative 1st (or 3rd) Singular,
3) the Preterite Indicative Plural,
4) the Past Participle.
Strong verbs are divided into seven classes, each having a distinct set or pattern of the root vowels in its principal parts, different from any other class. Each of these may be further subdivided into one or two sub-classes as the result of additional sound changes.
| Class I: | ī–ā– i –i | drīvan | drāf | drifon | drifen |
| Class II: | ēo–ēa– u – o | a) crēopan b) būgan | crēap bēag | crupon bugon | cropen bogen |
| Class III: | eo – ea – u – o e – ea(æ) –u–o i – a(o) –u – u | feohtan helpan bregdan findan | feaht healp brægd fand | fuhton hulpon brugdon fundon | fohten holpen brogden funden |
| Class IV: | e – æ –ǣ– o | brecan | bræc | brǣcon | brocen |
| Class V: | e/i – æ – ǣ – e | a) sprecan b) sittan | spræc sæt | sprǣcon sǣton | sprecen seten |
| Class VI: | a – ō – ō – a | faran | fōr | fōron | faren |
Class VII comprised old reduplicated verbs which in historical times formed their Preterite with the vocalism -ē- or -ēo-, and the Past Participle of which had the vocalism of the Present Tense.
| hātan | hēt | hēton | hāten | (call) |
| cnāwan | cnēow | cnēowon | cnāwen | (know) |
| grōwan | grēow | grēowon | grōwen | (grow) |
| fēallan | fēoll | fēollon | fēallen | (fall) |
The Present Indicative was formed by means of the following set of ending:
| Sg. | Pl. | |
| 1. | - e | ↘ |
| 2. | - (e)st | → aþ |
| 3. | - (e)þ | ↗ |
In addition to that, in the 2nd and 3rd person sg., the root vowel would undergo the following changes (i-umlaut/mutation);
| ĕo/ēo > ĭe/īe | crēopan | crīepst | crīepþ | (creep) |
| ĕa/ēa > ĭe/īe | feallan | fielst | fielþ | (fall) |
| ǔ/ū > y/ӯ | cuman | cymst | cymþ | (come) |
| ă/ā > æ/ǣ | cnāwan | cnǣwst | cnæwþ | (know) |
| ō > ē | grōwan | grēwst | grēwþ | (grow) |
| e > i | helpan | hilpst | hilpþ | (help) |
Note: But i/ī, ēand ǣ would remain unchanged.
The Present Indicative of the verbs drīfan (drive), crēopan (creep), helpan (help), faran (go) is then as follows:
| Singular | ||||
| 1. (ic) | drīfe | crēope | helpe | fare |
| 2. (þu) | drīfst | crīepst | hilpst | fær(e)st |
| 3. (hē) | drīfþ | crīepþ | hilpþ | fær(e)þ |
| Plural | ||||
| 1 – 3 (wē, gē, hīe) | drīfaþ | crēopaþ | helpaþ | faraþ |
The Preterite Indicative is formed by means of the following set of ending:
| Sg. | Pl. | |
| 1. | - | ↘ |
| 2. | - e | → on |
| 3. | - | ↗ |
The paradigm:
| Singular | ||||
| 1. | drāf | crēap | healp | fōr |
| 2. | drife | crupe | hulpe | fōre |
| 3. | drāf | crēap | healp | fōr |
| Plural | ||||
| 1 – 3 | drifon | crupon | hulpon | fōron |
Note: In Preterite, 1st and 3rd person sg. were always identical; the root vowel of the 2nd person sg. was always that of the plural.
Date: 2014-12-22; view: 2264
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