A Handbook of the English Language, Robert Gordon Latham [some good books to read txt] 📗

Donald Caird finds orra things,

Where Allan Gregor fand the tings.—Scott.

§ 300. The verbs wherein the double form of the present præterite is thus explained, fall into two classes.

1. In the first class, the Anglo-Saxon forms were á in the singular, and i in the plural; as—

Sing. Plur. Sceán Scinon (we shone). Arás Arison (we arose). Smát Smiton (we smote).

This accounts for—

Present.       Præt. from Sing. form.   Præt. from Plur. form. Rise           Rose           Ris.[54] Smite           Smote           Smit. Ride           Rode           Rid.[54] Stride           Strode           Strid. Slide           Slode[54]           Slid. Chide           Chode[54]           Chid. Drive           Drove           Driv.[54] Thrive           Throve           Thriv. Write           Wrote           Writ. Slit           Slat[54]           Slit. Bite           Bat[54]           Bit.

2. In the second class, the Anglo-Saxon forms were a in the singular, and u in the plural, as—

Sing. Plur. Band Bundon (we bound). Fand Fundon (we found). Grand Grundon (we ground). Wand Wundon (we wound).

This accounts for—

Present.       Præt. from Sing. form.   Præt. from Pl. form. Swim           Swam           Swum. Begin           Began           Begun. Spin           Span[55]           Spun. Win           Wan[55]           Won.[56] Sing           Sang           Sung. Swing           Swang[55]           Swung. Spring           Sprang           Sprung. Sting           Stang[55]           Stung. Ring           Rang           Rung. Wring           Wrang[55]           Wrung. Fling           Flang           Flung. Hing[55]           Hang           Hung. String           Strang[55]           Strung. Sink           Sank           Sunk. Drink           Drank           Drunk. Shrink           Shrank           Shrunk. Stink           Stank[55]           Stunk. Melt           Molt[55]           — Help           Holp[55]           — Delve           Dolv[55]           — Stick           Stack[55]           Stuck. Run           Ran           Run. Burst           Brast           Burst. Bind           Band           Bound. Find           Fand[55]           Found.

§ 301. The following double præterites are differently explained. The primary one often (but not always) is from the Anglo-Saxon participle, the secondary from the Anglo-Saxon præterite.

Present. Primary Præterite.   Secondary Præterite. Cleave           Clove           Clave[55]. Steal           Stole           Stale[55]. Speak           Spoke           Spake. Swear           Swore           Sware. Bear           Bore           Bare. Tear           Tore           Tare[55]. Wear           Wore           Ware[55]. Break           Broke           Brake. Get           Got           Gat[55]. Tread           Trod           Trad. Bid           Bade           Bid. Eat           Ate           Ete.

§ 302. The following verbs have only a single form for the præterite,—

Present. Præterite. Present. Præterite. Fall Fell. Forsake Forsook. Befall Befell. Eat Ate. Hold Held. Give Gave. Draw Drew. Wake Woke. Slay Slew. Grave Grove. Fly Flew. Shape Shope. Blow Blew. Strike Struck. Crow Crew. Shine Shone. Know Knew. Abide Abode. Grow Grew. Strive Strove. Throw Threw. Climb Clomb. Let Let. Hide Hid. Beat Beat. Dig Dug. Come Came. Cling Clung. Heave Hove. Swell Swoll. Weave Wove. Grind Ground. Freeze Froze. Wind Wound. Shear Shore. Choose Chose. —— Quoth. Stand Stood. Seethe Sod. Lie Lay. Shake Shook. See Saw. Take Took.

§ 303. An arrangement of the preceding verbs into classes, according to the change of vowel, is by no means difficult, even in the present stage of the English language. In the Anglo-Saxon, it was easier still. It is also easier in the provincial dialects, than in the literary English. Thus, when

Break is pronounced  Breek, Bear — Beer, Tear — Teer, Swear — Sweer, Wear — Weer,

as they actually are by many speakers, they come in the same class with,—

Speak pronounced  Speek, Cleave — Cleeve,

and form their præterite by means of a similar change, i.e., by changing the sound of the ee in feet (spelt ea) into that of the a in fate; viewed thus, the irregularity is less than it appears to be at first sight.

Again, tread is pronounced tredd, but many provincial speakers say treed, and so said the Anglo-Saxons, whose form was ic trede = I tread. Their præterite was træd. This again subtracts from the apparent irregularity.

Instances of this kind may be multiplied; the whole question, however, of the conjugation of the strong verbs is best considered after the perusal of the next chapter.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE WEAK TENSES.

§ 304. The præterite tense of the weak verbs is formed by the addition of -d or -t.

If necessary, the syllable -ed is substituted for -d.

The current statement that the syllable -ed, rather than the letter -d is the sign of the præterite tense, is true only in regard to the written language. In stabbed, moved, bragged, whizzed, judged, filled, slurred, slammed, shunned, barred, strewed, the e is a point of spelling only. In language, except in declamation, there is no second vowel sound. The -d comes in immediate contact with the final letter of the original word, and the number of syllables remains the same as it was before. We say stabd, môved, bragd, &c.

§ 305. When, however, the original word ends in -d or -t, as slight or brand, then, and then only is there the real addition of the syllable -ed; as in slighted, branded.

This is necessary, since the combinations slightt and brandd are unpronounceable.

Whether the addition be -d or -t depends upon the flatness or sharpness of the preceding letter.

After b, v, th (as in clothe), g, or z, the addition is -d. This is a matter of necessity. We say stabd, môvd, clôthd, braggd, whizzd, because stabt, môvt, clotht, braggt, whizzt, are unpronounceable.

After l, m, n, r, w, y, or a vowel, the addition is also -d. This is the habit of the English language. Filt, slurt, strayt, &c., are as pronounceable as filld, slurrd, strayd, &c. It is the habit, however, of the English language to prefer the latter forms.

All this, as the reader has probably observed, is merely the reasoning concerning the s, in words like father's, &c., applied to another letter and to another part of speech.

§ 306. The verbs of the weak conjugation fall into three classes.

I. In the first there is the simple addition of -d, -t, or -ed.

Serve, served. Dip, dipped (dipt). Cry, cried. Slip, slipped (slipt). Betray, betrayed. Step, stepped (stept). Expell, expelled. Look, looked (lookt). Accuse, accused. Pluck, plucked (pluckt). Instruct, instructed.   Toss, tossed (tost). Invite, invited. Push, pushed (pusht). Waste, wasted. Confess, confessed (confest).

To this class belong the greater part of the weak verbs and all verbs of foreign origin.

§ 307. II. In the second class, besides the addition of -t or -d, the vowel is shortened,

Present. Præterite. Creep Crept. Keep Kept. Sleep Slept. Sweep Swept. Weep Wept. Lose Lost. Mean Meant.[57]

Here the final consonant is -t.

Present. Præterite. Flee Fled. Hear Heard.[58] Shoe Shod. Say Said.[59]

Here the final consonant is -d.

§ 308. III. In the second class the vowel of the present tense was shortened in the præterite. In the third class it is changed.

Tell, told. Sell, sold. Will, would.   Shall, should.

To this class belong the remarkable præterites of the verbs seek, beseech, catch, teach, bring, think, and buy, viz., sought, besought, caught, taught, brought, thought, and bought. In all these, the final consonant is either g or k, or else a sound allied to those mutes. When the tendency of these sounds to become h and y, as well as to undergo farther changes, is remembered, the forms in point cease to seem anomalous. In wrought, from work, there is a transposition. In laid and said the present forms make a show of regularity which they have not. The true original forms should be legde and sægde, the infinitives being lecgan, secgan. In these words the i represents the semivowel y, into which the original g was changed. The Anglo-Saxon forms of the other words are as follows:—

Bycan, bóhte. Bringan, bróhte.   Sêcan, sóhte. Þencan, þóhte.