Chapter XXIII: The Strong Tenses

§ 299. The strong præterites are formed from the present by changing the vowel, as _sing_, _sang_; _speak_, _spoke_.

In Anglo-Saxon, several præterites change, in their plural, the vowel of their singular; as

Ic sang, _I sang_. | We sungon, _we sung_.
Þu sunge, _thou sungest_. | Ge sungon, _ye sung_.
He sang, _he sang_. | Hi sungon, _they sung_.

The bearing of this fact upon the præterites has already been indicated. In a great number of words we have a double form, as _ran_ and _run_, _sang_ and _sung_, _drank_ and _drunk_, &c. One of these forms is derived from the singular, and the other from the plural.

In cases where but one form is preserved, that form is not necessarily the singular; indeed, it is often the plural;--e.g., Ic fand, _I found_, we fundon, _we found_, are the Anglo-Saxon forms. Now the present word _found_ comes, not from the singular _fand_, but from the plural _fundon_; although in the Lowland Scotch dialect and in the old writers, the _singular_ form occurs;

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

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

_Sing._ | _Plural._
|
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 [55]Span Spun.
Win [55]Wan [56]Won.
Sing Sang Sung.
Swing [55]Swang Swung.
Spring Sprang Sprung.
Sting [55]Stang Stung.
Ring Rang Rung.
Wring [55]Wrang Wrung.
Fling Flang Flung.
[55]Hing Hang Hung.
String [55]Strang Strung.
Sink Sank Sunk.
Drink Drank Drunk.
Shrink Shrank Shrunk.
Stink [55]Stank Stunk.
Melt [55]Molt --
Help [55]Holp --
Delve [55]Dolv --
Stick [55]Stack Stuck.
Run Ran Run.
Burst Brast Burst.
Bind Band Bound.
Find [55]Fand 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 [55]Clave.
Steal Stole [55]Stale.
Speak Spoke Spake.
Swear Swore Sware.
Bear Bore Bare.
Tear Tore [55]Tare.
Wear Wore [55]Ware.
Break Broke Brake.
Get Got [55]Gat.
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.

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