Chapter XIX: Strong Verbs: Classes II and III

109. #Class II: The "Choose" Conjugation.#

Vowel Succession: êo, êa, u, o.

INFINITIVE.[1] PRET. SING. PRET. PLUR.[2] PAST PART.[2]

cêos-an, cêas, cur-on gecor-en, _to choose_.

#Indicative.# #Subjunctive#.

PRESENT. PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic cêos-e _Sing._ 1. Ic }
2. ðû cîest (cêos-est) 2. ðû } cêos-e
3. hê cîest (cêos-eð) 3. hê }

_Plur._ 1. wê } _Plur._ 1. wê }
2. gê } cêos-að 2. gê } cêos-en
3. hîe } 3. hîe }

PRETERIT. PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic cêas _Sing._ 1. Ic }
2. ðû cur-e 2. ðû } cur-e
3. hê cêas 3. hê }

_Plur._ 1. wê } _Plur._ 1. wê }
2. gê } cur-on 2. gê } cur-en
3. hîe } 3. hîe }

#Imperative.# #Infinitive.# #Present Participle.#

_Sing._ 2. cêos cêos-an cêos-ende
_Plur._ 1. cêos-an
2. cêos-að

#Gerund.# #Past Participle.#

tô cêos-anne (-enne) gecor-en

[Footnote 1: A few verbs of Class II have û instead of êo in the
infinitive:

brûcan, brêac, brucon, gebrocen, _to enjoy_ [brook].
bûgan, bêag, bugon, gebogen, _to bend, bow_.]

[Footnote 2: By a law known as Grammatical Change, final ð, s,
and h of strong verbs generally become d, r, and g,
respectively, in the preterit plural and past participle.]

110. #Class III: The "Bind" Conjugation.#

Vowel Succession: {i,e}, a, u, {u,o}.

The present stem ends in m, n, l, r, or h, + one or more consonants:

m: belimp-an, { belomp }, belump-on, belump-en, _to belong_.
{ belamp }

n: bind-an, { bond }, bund-on, gebund-en, _to bind_.
{ band }

l: help-an, healp, hulp-on, geholp-en, _to help_.

r: weorð-an, wearð, wurd-on, geword-en, _to become_.

h: gefeoht-an, gefeaht, gefuht-on, gefoht-en, _to fight_.

NOTE 1.--If the present stem ends in a nasal (m, n) + a consonant,
the past participle retains the u of the pret. plur.; but if the
present stem ends in a liquid (l, r) or h, + a consonant, the past
participle has o instead of u.

NOTE 2.--Why do we not find #*halp#, #*warð#, and #*faht# in the
pret. sing.? Because a before l, r, or h, + a consonant, underwent
"breaking" to ea. Breaking also changes every e followed by r or
h, + a consonant, to eo: #weorðan# (< #*werðan#), feohtan
(< #*fehtan#).

111. #Indicative.# #Subjunctive.#

PRESENT. PRESENT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic bind-e _Sing._ 1. Ic }
2. ðû bintst (bind-est) 2. ðû } bind-e
3. hê bint (bind-eð) 3. hê }

_Plur._ 1. wê } _Plur._ 1. wê }
2. gê } bind-að 2. gê } bind-en
3. hîe } 3. hîe }

PRETERIT. PRETERIT.

_Sing._ 1. Ic bond _Sing._ 1. Ic }
2. ðû bund-e 2. ðû } bund-e
3. hê bond 3. hê }

_Plur._ 1. wê } _Plur._ 1. wê }
2. gê } bund-on 2. gê } bund-en
3. hîe } 3. hîe }

#Imperative.# #Infinitive.# #Present Participle.#

_Sing._ 2. bind bind-an bind-ende
_Plur._ 1. bind-an
2. bind-að

#Gerund.# #Past Participle.#

tô bind-anne (-enne) gebund-en

112. VOCABULARY.

ðæt gefeoht, _fight, battle_.
sêo gerecednes, _narration_ [#reccan#].
ðæt gesceap, _creation_ [#scieppan#].
sêo hergung (§ 39, (3)), _harrying, plundering_ [#hergian#].
sê medu (medo) (§ 51), _mead_.
sêo meolc, _milk_.
sê middangeard, _world_ [middle-yard].
sê munuc, _monk_ [monachus].
sêo my:re, mare [#mearh#].
hê sæ:de, _he said_.
hîe sæ:don, _they said_.
sêo spêd, _riches_ [speed].
spêdig, _rich, prosperous_ [speedy].
sêo tîd, _time_ [tide].
unspêdig, _poor_.
sê westanwind, _west-wind_.
ðæt wîn, _wine_.

ârîsan, ârâs, ârison, ârisen, _to arise_.
bîdan, bâd, bidon, gebiden, _to remain, expect_
(with gen.)
drêogan,[3] drêag, drugon, gedrogen, _to endure, suffer_.
drincan, dronc, druncon, gedruncen, _to drink_.
findan, fond, fundon, gefunden, _to find_.
geswîcan geswâc, geswicon, geswicen, _to cease, cease from_
(with gen.)
iernan (yrnan), orn, urnon, geurnen, _to run_.
onginnan, ongonn, ongunnon, ongunnen, _to begin_.
rîdan, râd, ridon, geriden, _to ride_.
singan, song, sungon, gesungen, _to sing_.
wrîtan, wrât, writon, gewriten, _to write_.

[Footnote 3: _Cf._ the Scotch "to _dree_ one's weird" = _to
endure one's fate_.]

113. EXERCISES.

I. 1. Æfter ðissum wordum, sê munuc wrât ealle ðâ gerecednesse on ânre bêc. 2. Ðâ eorlas ridon ûp æ:r ðæ:m ðe ðâ Dene ðæs gefeohtes geswicen. 3. Cædmon song æ:rest be middangeardes gesceape. 4. Sê cyning ond ðâ rîcostan men drincað my:ran meolc, ond ðâ unspêdigan drincað medu. 5. Ond hê ârâs ond sê wind geswâc. 6. Hîe sæ:don ðæt hîe ðæ:r westwindes biden. 7. Hwæt is nû mâ ymbe ðâs ðing tô sprecanne? 8. Ðâ secgas ongunnon geswîcan ðæ:re hergunga. 9. Ðâ bêag ðæt lond ðæ:r êastryhte, oððe sêo sæ: in on ðæt lond. 10. Ðâs lond belimpað tô, ðæ:m Englum. 11. Ðêah ðâ Dene ealne dæg gefuhten, gîet hæfde Ælfred cyning sige. 12. Ond ðæs (afterwards) ymbe ânne mônað gefeaht Ælfred cyning wið ealne ðone here æt Wiltûne.

II. 1. The most prosperous men drank mare's milk and wine, but the poor men drank mead. 2. I suffered many things before you began to help me (dat.). 3. About two days afterwards (#Ðæs ymbe twêgen dagas#), the plundering ceased. 4. The king said that he fought against all the army (#here#). 5. Although the Danes remained one month (§ 98, (1)), they did not begin to fight. 6. These gifts belonged to my brother. 7. The earls were glad because their lord was (indicative) with them. 8. What did you find? 9. Then wrote he about (#be#) the wise man's deeds. 10. What more is there to endure?