old english verbs

Seminar 9 – Old English The Verb There are three types of verbs in Old English: a. Strong verbs (Vocalic type) Verbs – where the changes in tense are characterizes by changes in the vowel of the root syllable according to a fixed series; the changes of vowel in class VII are of obscure origin, but those in classes I-VI have arisen by ablaut or gradation. (There are seven classes of gradation according to the pattern of gradation) e.g.

ridan, rad, ridon, (ge)ridden = to ride rinnan, rann, runnon (ge)runnen / to run creopan, creap, crupon, (ge)cropen = to creep, to crawl singan = to sing present tense – indicative singular ic singe þu singest he / heo / hit singeþ

singular ic sang þu sunge he / heo / hit sang

plural (no distinctions of person) we singaþ ge singaþ hie singaþ past / preterit – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we sungon ge sungon hie sungon

Class I. Apart from contracted ones, verbs in this class have –ī as the stem vowel of the infinitive; it should be noted that i of the preterit plural and past participle is short. e.g.

drīfan, drāf, drifon, gedrifen = to drive rīsan, rās, rison, gerisen = to rise bīdan, bād, bidon, gebiden = to wait bītan, bāt, biton, gebiten = bite

Class II. The normal infinitive vowel is ēō, but there are a few “aorist-present” verbs in which the infinitive and present forms have a lengthened form of the preterit plural vowel. e.g.

bēōdan, bēād, budon, geboden = to offer brēōtan, brēāt, bruton, gebroten = to break cēōsan, cēās, curon, gecoren = to choose

Class III. The majority of verbs in this class have in the infinitive either i followed by a nasal plus another consonant (past participle –u-), or e or eo followed by a liquid plus another consonant (past participle –o-)

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e.g.

drincan, dranc, druncon, gedruncen = to drink bindan, band, bundon, gebunden = to bind byrnan, barn, burnon, geburnen = to burn yrnan, arn, urnon, geurnen = to run

Class IV contains only a few verbs; most have e in the infinitive, followed by r or l: e.g.

beran, bær, bǽron, geboren = to bear cuman, cōm ,cōmon, gecumen = to come niman, nōm, nōmon, genumen = to take

Class V verbs mainly have infinitives in e followed by a single consonant other than a liquid or a nasal. e.g.

sprecan, spræc, sprǽcon, gesprecen = to speak gifan, geaf, gēāfon, gegifen = to give cweðan, cwæð, cwǽdon, gecweden = to say sēōn, seah, sāwon, gesewen = to see

Class VI. The typical verbs in this class have a in the infinitive. e.g.

faran, fōr, fōron, gefaren = to go standan, stōd, stōdon, gestanden = to stand swerian, swōr, swōron, gesworen = to swear hebban, hōf, hōfon, gehafen = to raise

Class VI. The infinitive vowels in this class are various and provide little guide; the verbs are best considered according as their preterit vowel is ēō or ē. Although this class is often described as containing “reduplicating” verbs (compare Latin currō – cucurrī), the signs of reduplication are meagre in OE; leolc ‘played’ (lācan), heht ‘called’ (hātan) are among the few vestiges recorded even in these the phenomenon is scarcely recognizable without comparing the Gothic cognates laíláik, haíháit. e.g.

feallan, fēōll, fēōllon, gefeallen = to fall healdan, hēōld, hēōldon, gehealden = to hold cnāwan, cnēōw, cnēōwon, gecnāwen = to know grōwan, grēōw, grēōwn, gegrōwen = to grow

b. Weak verbs (consonantal type) Verbs – where the change of tense is shown by the addition of a suffix containing d, t, þ (further subdivided into three classes depending on the stem to which the suffix was attached) e.g. fyllan, fylde, (ge)fylled = to fill lufian, lufode, gelufod = to love ricsian = to reign present tense – indicative singular plural (no distinctions of person) ic ricsie we ricsiaþ þu ricsast ge ricsiaþ he / heo / hit ricsaþ hie ricsiaþ

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singular ic ricsode þu ricsodes he / heo / hit ricsode

past / preterit – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we ricsodan ge ricsodan hie ricsodan

The opposition strong/weak in OE is parallel to the opposition irregular/regular in MnE. There is a tendency towards eliminating strong verbs altogether (e.g. hang, hung/hanged) c. irregular verbs: Most of these verbs are of high frequency and should be learnt completely. They may be considered in three groups 1. the have group (usually presented as the third class of the consonantal type)

singular ic hæbbe þu hæfst he / heo / hit hæfþ

habban = to have present tense – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we habbaþ ge habbaþ hie habbaþ

singular ic hæfde þu hæfdes he / heo / hit hæfde

past / preterit – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we hæfdan ge hæfdan hie hæfdan

2. anomalous verbs e.g. wesan/beon (be), willan (will), nyllan (will not), don (do), gan (go)

singular ic eom or þu eart he/heo/hit is

bēō bist bið

singular ic wæs þu wǽre he / heo / hit wæs

wesan/beon = to be present tense – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we sind(on) or bēōð ge sind(on) bēōð hie sind(on) bēōð past / preterit – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we wæron ge wæron hie wæron

3. preterit – present Where old preterit forms have the meaning of a present tense and new preterit forms have been created according to weak types: e.g. sceal– preterit: sce(o)lde / inf. – sculan (to have to, to be obliged to) cann (I can) – preterit: cuþe (I could) infinitive - cunnan mot vs. moste / infinitive – motan (must) mæg vs. meahte / infinitive magan (may)

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singular ic wille þu wilt he/heo/hit wil(l)e

willan = will present tense – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we willað ge willað hie willað

singular ic wolde þu woldes he / heo / hit wolde

past / preterit – indicative plural (no distinctions of person) we woldon ge woldon hie woldon

With the single exception of ‘be’, all the verbs in these groups have consonantal preterits. other present – preterit verbs: witan (to know), agan (to own) We call “principal parts” of the verbs the infinitive, the 1st / 3rd person singular preterit indicative, the plural preterit indicative and the past participle. So the standard for on an OE verb is: singan (infinitive) – sang (1st preterit) – sungon (pl. preterit) – (ge)sungen (past part.) 1. Number & person There are two numbers – singular and plural; indicative. The three persons are distinguished only in the singular; there is only one plural subjunctive; there are no person distinctions in the singular or plural in the subjunctive (singe/singen) 2. Voice The is only one voice – the active. The only remnants of an unaccomplished passive are: hatte – is called, was called, am called / hatton (plural) 3. Tense There are only two tenses distinguished in form: present and preterit. habban and wessan are used as auxiliaries in order to form a perfect tense. 4. Mood Infinitive: -an stem; there is also an inflected infinitive. e.g. ridan / to ridanne (inflected) The inflected infinitive is used to express purpose or to define an adjective: “Manige common to bycgenne þa þing” = many came in order to buy that Indicative vs. subjunctive (same distinction as in MnE, the subjunctive expresses a wish in main clauses and is mostly used in subordinate clauses) Participle / present participle vs. past participle (-ende/ (ge)-en, -d, -t, -þ) e.g. lufian – lufiende – gelufod = to love 5. Negation The negative particle ne is placed before the verb. It sometimes drops the vowel to combine with verbs/pronouns beginning with h/w: e.g. willan / nyllan (will (not)), habban / nabban (to have (not)), næs (I was not), neom (I am not) 6. Interrogation Questions are mainly expressed by placing the subject after the verb (see distinction OE/ MnE)

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[The pupils:] We cildra biddaþ þe, eala lareow, þæt þu tæce us sprecan, forþam ungelærde we syndon, and gewæmmodlice we sprecaþ. [The teacher:] Hwæt wille ge sprecan? [The pupils:] Hwæt rece we hwæt we sprecan, buton hit riht spræc sy and behefe, næs idel oþþe fracod? [The teacher:] Wille beswungen on leornunge? [The pupils:] Leofre ys beon beswungen for lare þænne hit ne cunnan. [The pupils:] Ac we witun þe bilewitne wesan and nellan onbelæden swincgla us, buton þu bi togenydd fram us. [The teacher:] Ic axie þe, hwæt sprycst þu? Hwæt hæfst þu weorkes? [Pupil A:] Ic eom geanwyrde monuc, ond sincge ælce dæg seofon tida mid gebroþrum, ac þeahhwæþere ic wolde betwenan leornian sprecan on leden gereorde. [The teacher:] Hwæt cunnon þas þine geferan? [Pupil A:] Summe synt yrþlincgas, sume scephyrdas, sume oxanhyrdas, sume eac swylce huntan, sume fisceras, sume fugleras, sume cypmenn, sume scewyrhtan, sealteras, bæceras. [The teacher:] Hwæt sægest þu, yrþlingc? Hu begæst þu weorc þin? [Pupil B:] Eala, leof hlaford, þearle ic deorfe. Ic ga ut on dægræd þywende oxan to felda, ond iugie hie to syl; nys hit swa stearc winter þæt ic durre lutian æt ham for ege hlafordes mines, ac geiukodan oxan, ond gefæstnodon sceare ond cultre mid þære syl, ælce dæg ic sceal erian fulne æcer oþþe mare. [The teacher:] Hæfst þu ænigne geferan? [Pupil B:] Ic hæbbe sumne cnapan þywende oxan mid gadisene, þe eac swilce nu has is for cylde ond hreame [The teacher:] Hwæt mare dest þu? [Pupil B:] Gewyslice mare ic do. Ic sceal fyllan binne oxena mid hig, ond wæterian hie, ond scearn hira beran ut. Hig! Hig! [Possibly the teacher's line:] Micel gedeorf ys hit! [Pupil B:] Ge leof, micel gedeorf hit is, for þam ic neom freoh. [The teacher:] Sceaphyrde, hæfst þu ænig gedeorf? [Pupil C:] Gea, leof, ic hæbbe. On forewerdne morgen ic drife sceap mine to hira læse ond stande ofer hie on hæte ond on cyle mid hundum, þy læs wulfas forswelgen hie, ond ic agenlæde hie on hira loca, ond melke hie tweowa on dæg, ond hira loca ic hæbbe, ond þærto ge cyse ge buteran ic do, ond ic eom getrywe hlaforde minum. [The teacher:] Eala, oxanhyrde, hwæt wyrcst þu? [Pupil D:] Eala, hlaford min, micel ic gedeorfe. Þænne se yrthlingc unscenþ þa oxan, ic læde hie to læse, ond ealle niht ic stande ofer hie waciende for þeofum, ond eft on ærnemergen ic betæce hie þæm yrþlincge wel gefylde ond gewæterode [The teacher:] Is þæs of þinum geferum? [Pupil A:] Gea, he is. [The teacher:] Canst þu ænig þing? [Pupil E:] Ænne cræft ic cann. [The teacher:] Hwylcne? [Pupil E:] Hunta ic eom. [The teacher:] Hwæs? [Pupil E:] Cincges. [The teacher:] Hu begæst þu cræft þinne? [Pupil E:] Ic brede me max ond sette hie on stowe gehæppre, ond getihte hundas mine þæt wildeor hie ehton, oþþæt hie becuman to þæm nettum unforsceawodlice ond þæt hie swa beon begrynodo, ond ic ofslea hie on þæm maxum. [The teacher:] Ne canst þu huntian buton mid nettum? [Pupil E:] Gea, butan nettum huntian ic mæg. [The teacher:] Hu? [Pupil E:] Mid swiftum hundum ic betæce wildeor. [The teacher:] Hwilce wildeor swyþost gefehst þu? [Pupil E:] Ic gefeo heortas ond baras ond rann ond rægan ond hwilon haran. [The teacher:] Wære þu todæg on huntnoþe? [Pupil E:] Ic næs, forþam sunnandæg is, ac gyrstandæg ic wæs on huntunge. [The teacher:] Hwæt gelæhtest þu? [Pupil E:] Twegen heortas ond ænne bar.

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