Weak Verbs

Chapter 16: Weak Verbs To prepare to learn the majority of Old English verbs, it is important to review the material we covered in Chapter 8, where we went over the different types of verbs and the grammatical roles they play. We strongly recommend that you go back and re-read that chapter now. Remember that Old English verbs can be divided into four main categories: weak verbs (the subject of this chapter), strong verbs (the subject of chapter 17), preterite-present verbs (the subject of chapter 18), and irregular verbs (which we discussed in chapter 9). Weak Verbs are verbs which add an ending to a verb stem to indicate person, number, tense, and mood. Most verbs in Modern English behave like weak verbs. Walk ==> Walked is an example of a weak verb. Most verbs in Modern English behave like weak verbs. To find the stem of an Old English verb, take the infinitive (which ends with -an) and subtract the ending. For example, the stem of the verb deman = "to judge" is dem. First Conjugation Weak Verbs: The stem generally ends in a consonant (these are the most common weak verbs). Second Conjugation Weak Verbs: The stem generally ends in a vowel (these are less common than first conjugation weak verbs). Third Conjugation Weak Verbs: These verbs don't fit into the first two conjugations. Luckily there are only three that you really need to worry about. First Conjugation Weak Verbs As with all conjugations, you begin with the infinitive, which ends in an. Reminder: verbs are listed in dictionaries and glossaries under their infinitive forms. Subtract an to find the stem of the verb. Add the appropriate ending from the table below to the stem to form the conjugated verb. First Conjugation Weak Verbs: Paradigms First Conjugation Weak Verbs, Indicative Mood Present Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person Plural e est eð 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons aþ Past Tense Singular 1st Person de 2nd Person dest 3rd Person de Plural 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons don First Conjugation Weak Verbs, Subjunctive Mood Present Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons e Plural 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons en Past Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons de 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons den Plural Note: the only difference between the present and past tense is the addition of "d" to the ending. First Conjugation Weak Verbs, Imperative Mood (can only be in the 2nd person and only in present tense) Singular 2nd Person stem minus final letter 2nd Person aþ Plural Note: the Imperative Mood can only be in the 2nd person and only in present tense. Inflected Infinitive: to (stem+anne) Present Participle: stem + ende Past Participle: stem + ed Weak 1st Conjugation Verbs Examples Infinitive: deman = "to judge" First Conjugation Weak Verbs, Indicative Mood: Examples Present Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person Plural deme demest demeð 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons demaþ Past Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person Plural demde demdest demde 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons demdon First Conjugation Weak Verbs, Subjunctive Mood: Examples Present Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons deme Plural 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons demen Past Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons demde 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons demden Plural First Conjugation Weak Verbs, Imperative Mood: Examples (can only be in the 2nd person and only in present tense) Singular 2nd Person dem 2nd Person demaþ Plural Inflected Infinitive: to demanne Present Participle: demende Past Participle: demed Second Conjugation Weak Verbs Second Conjugation verbs have ian in the infinitive rather than an. As with all conjugations, you begin with the infinitive, which for second conjugation verbs ends in ian. The infinitive is the form of the verb listed in the dictionary. Subtract ian to find the stem of the verb. Add the endings in the table below to the stem to form the appropriate form of the verb. Weak 2nd Conjugation Verbs paradigms (All endings in the tables are added to the stem of the verb) Second Conjugation Weak Verbs, Indicative Mood: Present Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person e ast aþ 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons aþ Plural You'll notice that the only major difference from the First Conjugation paradigm is that "e" has been replaced with "a" in the second and third persons. Past Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person ode odest ode 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons odon Plural The only difference from the first conjugation is that "o" is added before the ending. For a few verbs "a" is added instead of "o". Second Conjugation Weak Verbs, Subjunctive Mood: Present Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons ie 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons ien Plural The only difference from the first conjugation is that "i" that is added before the ending. Past Tense Singular 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person ode 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person oden Plural The only difference from the first conjugation is that "o" that is added before the ending. Second Conjugation Weak Verbs, Imperative Mood: Singular 2nd Person a 2nd Person iaþ Plural Note: the Imperative Mood can only be in the 2nd person and only in present tense. Inflected Infinitive: to stem + ianne (a few words use "eanne") Present Participle: stem + iende (a few words use "ende") Past Participle: stem + od (a few words use "d") Weak 2nd Conjugation Verbs: Examples Infinitive is "bodian" = to proclaim. Stem is therefore "bod" Second Conjugation Weak Verbs, Indicative Mood: Examples Present Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person Plural bodie bodast bodaþ bodiaþ 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons You'll notice that the only major difference from the First Conjugation paradigm is that "e" has been replaced with "a" in the second and third persons. Past Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person bodode bododest bodode 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons bododon Plural The only difference from the first conjugation is that "o" is added before the ending. For a few verbs "a" is added instead of "o". Second Conjugation Weak Verbs, Subjunctive Mood: Examples Present Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons bodie 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons bodien Plural The only difference from the first conjugation is that "i" that is added before the ending. Past Tense Singular 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person bodode 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person bododen Plural The only difference from the first conjugation is that "o" that is added before the ending. Second Conjugation Weak Verbs, Imperative Mood: Examples (can only be in the 2nd person and only in present tense) Singular 2nd Person boda 2nd Person bodiaþ Plural Inflected Infinitive: to bodianne Present Participle: bodiende Past Participle:bodod Third Conjugation Weak Verbs There are very few Third Conjugation Weak Verbs, and they all have various quirks in their conjugations. Therefore instead of presenting a set of endings, this page will simply show the full conjugations for the three most common and important Third Conjugation Verbs. Infinitives: habban = to have libban (or lifian) = to live secgan (or secgean) = to say Weak 3rd Conjugation Verbs Paradigms Weak 3rd Conjugation Verbs: Indicative Mood Present Tense Singular 1st Person hæbbe 2nd Person hafast or hæfast lifast sægst or segst 3rd Person hafað or hæfð lifaþ sægeþ or segþ habbaþ libbaþ secgaþ Plural 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons libbe or lifge secge Past Tense Singular 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person hæfde hæfdest hæfde lifde lifdest lifde sægde or sæde sægdest or sædest sægde or sæde 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons hæfdon lifdon sægdon or sædon Plural Weak 3rd Conjugation Verbs: Subjunctive Mood Present Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons hæbbe libbe secge 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons hæbben libben secgen Plural Past Tense Singular 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons hæfde lifde sægde or sæde 1st, 2nd and 3rd Persons hæfden lifden sægden or sæden Plural Weak 3rd Conjugation Verbs: Imperative Mood Singular 2nd Person hafa liofa sage or sege 2nd Person habbaþ libbaþ or lifiaþ secgaþ or secgeaþ Plural Note: The Imperative Mood can only be in the second person and the present tense. to libbanne or to secganne or to lifienne to secgeanne hæbbende libbende or lifigende secgende hæfd lifd sægd or sæd Inflected Infinitives to habbanne Present Participles Past Participles