Chapter XXIII: The Strong Tenses

s. 363. The strong praeterites are formed from the present by changing the vowel, as _sing_, _sang_, _speak_, _spoke_.

The first point in the history of these tenses that the reader is required to be aware of, is stated in the Chapter upon the Numbers, viz., that, in Anglo-Saxon, several praeterites change, in their plural, the vowel of their singular; as

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

As a general rule, the second singular has the same vowel with the plural persons, as _burne_, _thou burntest_, plural _burnon_, _we burnt_.

The bearing of this fact upon the praeterites has been indicated in p. 300. 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. I cannot say at what period the difference of form ceased to denote a difference of sense.

In cases where but one form is preserved, that form is not necessarily the singular one. For instance, Ic f_a_nd, _I found_, we f_u_ndon, _we found_, are the Anglo-Saxon forms. Now the present word _found_ comes, not from the singular _fand_, but from the plural _fund_; 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.

Even in the present English it will be found convenient to {308} call the forms like _sang_ and _drank_ the singular, and those like _sung_ and _bound_ the plural forms.

Be it observed, that, though this fact accounts for most of our double forms, it will not account for all. In the Anglo-Saxon, Ic spr['ae]c, _I spake_, we spr['ae]con, _we spake_. There is no change of number to account for the two forms _spake_ and _spoke_.

_First Class._

s. 364. Contains the two words _fall_ and _fell_, _hold_ and _held_, where the sound of _o_ is changed into that of _[)e]_. Here must be noticed the natural tendency of _a_ to become _o_; since the forms in Anglo-Saxon are, _Ic fealle_, I fall; _Ic feoll_, I fell; _Ic healde_, I hold; _Ic heold_, I held.

_Second Class._

s. 365. Here the praeterite ends in _-ew_. Words of this class are distinguished from those of the third Class by the different form of the present tense.

_Present._ _Praeterite._
Draw Drew.
Slay Slew.
Fly Flew.

In these words the _w_ has grown out of a _g_, as may be seen from the Anglo-Saxon forms. The word _see_ (_saw_) belongs to this class: since, in Anglo-Saxon, we find the forms _gese['a]h_ and _gesegen_, and in the Swedish the praeterite form is _saag_.

_Third Class._

s. 366. Here an _o_ before _w_, in the present, becomes _e_ before _w_ in the praeterite; as

_Present._ _Praeterite._
Blow. Blew.
Crow. Crew.
Throw. Threw.
Know. Knew.
Grow. Grew.

_Fourth Class._

s. 367. Contains the single word _let_, where a short _e_ in the {309} present remains unchanged in the praeterite. In the Anglo-Saxon the present form was _Ic laete_, the praeterite _Ic l['e]t_.

_Fifth Class._

s. 368. Contains the single word _beat_, where a long _e_ remains unchanged. In Anglo-Saxon the forms were _Ic beate_, _Ic beot_.

_Sixth Class._

s. 369. Present _come_, praeterite _came_, participle _come_. In Anglo-Saxon, _cume_, _com_, _cumen_.

_Seventh Class._

s. 370. In this class we have the sounds of the _ee_, in _feet_, and of the _a_ in _fate_ (spelt _ea_ or _a_), changed into _o_ or _oo_. As several words in this class have a second form in _a_, the praeterite in _o_ or _oo_ will be called the primary, the praeterite in _a_ the secondary form.

_Present._ _Primary Praeterite._ _Secondary Praeterite._

Heave [48]Hove --
Cleave Clove [48]Clave.
Weave Wove --
Freeze Froze --
Steal Stole [48]Stale.
Speak Spoke Spake.
Swear Swore Sware.
Bear Bore Bare.
Tear Tore [48]Tare.
Shear [48]Shore --
Wear Wore [48]Ware.
Break Broke Brake.
Shake Shook --
Take Took --
Forsake Forsook --
Stand Stood --
-- Quoth --
Get Got [48]Gat.

The praeterite of _stand_ was originally long. This we collect {310} from the spelling, and from the Anglo-Saxon form _st['o]d_. The process that ejects the _nd_ is the same process that, in Greek, converts [Greek: odont-os] into [Greek: odous].

All the words with secondary forms will appear again in the eighth class.

_Eighth Class._

s. 371. In this class the sound of the _ee_ in _feet_, and the _a_ in _fate_ (spelt _ea_), is changed into a. Several words of this class have secondary forms. Further details may be seen in the remarks that come after the following list of verbs.

_Present._ _Primary Praeterite._ _Secondary Praeterite._

Speak Spake Spoke.
Break Brake Broke.
Cleave [49]Clave Clove.
Steal [49]Stale Stole.
Eat Ate --
Seethe -- [49]Sod.
Tread [49]Trad Trod.
Bear Bare Bore.
Tear Tare Tore.
Swear Sware Swore.
Wear [49]Ware Wore.
Bid Bade Bid.
Sit Sate --
Give Gave --
Lie Lay --
Get [49]Gat Got.

Here observe,--1. That in _speak_, _cleave_, _steal_, the _ea_ has the same power with the _ee_ in _freeze_ and _seethe_; so that it may be dealt with as the long (or independent) sound of the _i_ in _bid_, _sit_, _give_.

2. That the same view may be taken of the _ea_ in _break_, although the word by some persons is pronounced _brake_. _Gabrika_, _gabrak_, Moeso-Gothic; _briku_, _brak_, Old Saxon; _brece_, _brac_, Anglo-Saxon. Also of _bear_, _tear_, _swear_, _wear_. In the provincial dialects these words are even now pronounced _beer_, _teer_, _sweer_. The forms in the allied languages are, in {311} respect to these last-mentioned words, less confirmatory; Moeso-Gothic, _svara_, _b['a]ira_; Old High German, _sverju_, _piru_.

3. That the _ea_ in _tread_ was originally long; Anglo-Saxon, _tredan_, _trede_, _tr['ae]d_, _treden_.

4. _Lie._--Here the sound is diphthongal, having grown out of the Anglo-Saxon forms _licgan_, _l['ae]g_, _legen_.

5. _Sat._--The original praeterite was long. This we collect from the spelling _sate_, and from the Anglo-Saxon _s['ae]t_.

_Ninth Class._

s. 372. _A_, as in _fate_, is changed either into the _o_ in _note_, or the _oo_ in _book_. Here it should be noticed that, unlike _break_ and _swear_, &c., there is no tendency to sound the _a_ of the present as _ee_, neither is there, as was the case with _clove_ and _spoke_, any tendency to secondary forms in a. A partial reason for this lies in the original nature of the vowel. The original vowel in _speak_ was e. If this was the _['e] ferm['e]_ of the French, it was a sound from which the _a_ in _fate_ and the _ee_ in _feet_ might equally have been evolved. The vowel sound of the verbs of the present class was that of _a_ for the present and that of _['o]_ for the praeterite forms; as _wace_, _w['o]c_, _grafe_, _gr['o]f_. Now of these two sounds it may be said that the _a_ has no tendency to become the _ee_ in _feet_, and that the _['o]_ has no tendency to become the _a_ in _fate_.

The sounds that are evolved from the accentuated _['o]_, are the _o_ in _note_ and the _oo_ in _book_.

_Present._ _Praeterite._

Awake Awoke.
Wake Woke.
Lade [50]Lode.
Grave [50]Grove.
Take Took.
Shake Shook.
Forsake Forsook.
Shape [50]Shope.

_Tenth Class._

s. 373. Containing the single word _strike_, _struck_, _stricken_. It is only in the Middle High German, the Middle Dutch, the New High German, the Modern Dutch, and the English, that {312} this word is found in its praeterite forms. These are, in Middle High German, _streich_; New High German, _strich_; Middle Dutch, _str[^e]c_; Modern Dutch, _str[^i]k_. Originally it must have been referable to the ninth class.

_Eleventh Class._

s. 374. In this class we first find the secondary forms accounted for by the difference of form between the singular and plural numbers. The change is from the _i_ in _bite_ to the _o_ in _note_, and the _i_ in _pit_. Sometimes it is from the _i_ in _bit_ to the _a_ in _bat_. The Anglo-Saxon conjugation (A) may be compared with the present English (B).

A.

_Present._ _Praeterite sing._ _Praeterite plur._

Scine (_shine_) Sce['a]n (_I shone_) Scinon (_we shone_).
Arise (_arise_) Ar['a]s (_I arose_) Arison (_we arose_).
Smite (_smite_) Sm['a]t (_I smote_) Smiton (_we smite_).

B.

_Present._ _Praet.--Sing. form._ _Praet.--Pl. form._

Rise Rose [51]Ris.
Abide Abode --
Shine Shone --
Smite Smote Smit.
Ride Rode [51]Rid.
Stride Strode Strid.
Slide [51]Slode Slid.
Glide [51]Glode --
Chide [51]Chode --
Drive Drove [51]Driv.
Thrive Throve [51]Thriv.
Strive Strove --
Write Wrote Writ.
Climb Clomb --
Slit [51]Slat Slit.
Bite [51]Bat Bit.

On this list we may make the following observations and statements.

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1. That, with the exception of the word _slit_, the _i_ is sounded as a diphthong.

2. That, with the exception of _bat_ and _slat_, it is changed into _o_ in the singular and into _[)i]_ in the plural forms.

3. That, with the exception of _shone_, the _o_ is always long (or independent).

4. That, even with the word _shone_, the _o_ was originally long. This is known from the final _-e_ mute, and from the Anglo-Saxon form _sc['e]an_; Moeso-Gothic, _sk['a]in_; Old Norse, _skein_.

5. That the _o_, in English, represents an _['a]_ in Anglo-Saxon.

6. That the statement last made shows that even _bat_ and _slat_ were once in the same condition with _arose_ and _smote_, the Anglo-Saxon forms being _ar['a]s_, _sm['a]t_, _b['a]t_, _sl['a]t_.

_Twelfth Class._

s. 375. In this class _i_ is generally short; originally it was always so. In the singular form it becomes _[)a]_, in the plural, _[)u]_.

_Present._ _Praet.--Sing. form._ _Praet.--Pl. form._
Swim Swam Swum.
Begin Began Begun.
Spin [52]Span Spun.
Win [52]Wan [53]Won.
Sing Sang Sung.
Swing [52]Swang Swung.
Spring Sprang Sprung.
Sting [52]Stang Stung.
Ring Rang Rung.
Wring [52]Wrang Wrung.
Fling Flang Flung.
Cling -- Clung.
[52]Hing Hang Hung.
String [52]Strang Strung.
Sling -- Slung.
Sink Sank Sunk.
Drink Drank Drunk.
Shrink Shrank Shrunk.
Stink [52]Stank Stunk.
Swink -- --
Slink -- Slunk.
Swell Swoll --
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Melt [54]Molt --
Help [54]Holp --
Delve [54]Dolv --
Dig -- Dug.
Stick [54]Stack Stuck.
Run Ran Run.
Burst -- Burst.
Bind Band Bound.
Find [54]Fand Found.
Grind -- Ground.
Wind -- Wound.

Upon this list we make the following observations and statements:--

1. That, with the exceptions of _bind_, _find_, _grind_, and _wind_, the vowels are short (or dependent) throughout.

2. That, with the exception of _run_ and _burst_, the vowel of the present tense is either the _i_ or e.

3. That _i_ short changes into _a_ for the singular, and into _u_ for the plural forms.

4. That _e_ changes into _o_ in the singular forms; these being the only ones preserved.

5. That the _i_ in _bind_, &c., changes into _ou_ in the plural forms; the only ones current.

6. That the vowel before _m_ or _n_ is, with the single exception of _run_, always _i_.

7. That the vowel before _l_ and _r_ is, with the single exception of _burst_, always e.

8. That, where the _i_ is sounded as in _bind_, the combination following is _-nd_.

9. That _ng_ being considered as a modification of _k_ (the Norse and Moeso-Gothic forms being _drecka_ and _drikjan_), it may be stated that _i_ short, in the twelfth class, precedes either a liquid or a mute of series _k_.

From these observations, even on the English forms only, we find thus much regularity; and from these observations, even on the English forms only, we may lay down a rule like the following: _viz._ that _i_ or _u_, short, before the consonants _m_, _n_, {315} or _ck_, is changed into _a_ for the singular, and into _u_ for the plural forms; that _i_ long, or diphthongal, becomes _ou_; that _e_ before _l_ becomes _o_; and that _u_ before _r_ remains unchanged.

This statement, however, is nothing like so general as the one that, after a comparison of the older forms and the allied languages, we are enabled to make. Here we are taught,

1. That, in the words _bind_, &c., the _i_ was once pronounced as in _till_, _fill_; in other words, that it was the simple short vowel, and not the diphthong _ey_; or at least that it was treated as such.

_Moeso-Gothic._
Binda Band Bundum Bundans.
Bivinda Bivand Bivundum Bivundums.
Fintha Fanth Funthum Funthans.

_Anglo-Saxon._
Bind Band Bundon Bunden.
Finde Fand Fundon Funden.
Grinde Grand Grundon Grunden.
Winde Wand Wundon Wunden.

_Old Norse._
Finn Fann Fundhum Funninn.
Bind Batt Bundum Bundinn.
Vind Vatt Undum Undinn.

When the vowel _[)i]_ of the present took the sound of the _i_ in _bite_, the _[)u]_ in the praeterite became the _ou_ in _mouse_. From this we see that the words _bind_, &c., are naturally subject to the same changes with _spin_, &c., and that, _mutatis mutandis_, they are so still.

2. That the _e_ in _swell_, &c., was once _[)i]_. This we collect from the following forms:--_hilpa_, Moeso-Gothic; _hilfu_, Old High German; _hilpu_, Old Saxon; _hilpe_, Middle High German; _hilpe_, Old Frisian. _Suillu_=_swell_, Old High German. _Tilfu_=_delve_, Old High German; _dilbu_, Old Saxon. _Smilzu_, Old High German=_smelt_ or _melt_. This shows that originally the vowel _i_ ran throughout, but that before _l_ and _r_ it was changed into e. This change took place at different periods in different dialects. The Old Saxon preserved the {316} _i_ longer than the Anglo-Saxon. It is found even in the _middle_ High German; in the _new_ it has become _e_; as _schwelle_, _schmelze_. In one word _milk_, the original _i_ is still preserved; although in Anglo-Saxon it was _e_; as _melce_, _mealc_=_milked_, _mulcon_. In the Norse the change from _i_ to _e_ took place full soon, as _svell_=_swells_. The Norse language is in this respect important.

3. That the _o_ in _swoll_, _holp_, was originally _a_; as

Hilpa Halp Hulpum Moeso-Gothic.
Suillu Sual Suullum[^e]s Old High German.
Hilfu Half Hulfum[^e]s Ditto.
Tilfu Talf Tulfum[^e]s Ditto.
Hilpe Halp Hulpun Middle High German.
Dilbe Dalp Dulbun Ditto.
Hilpe Halp Hulpon Ditto.
Svell Svall Sullum Old Norse.
Melte Mealt Multon Anglo-Saxon.
Helpe Haelp Hulpon Ditto.
Delfe Dealf Dulfon Ditto.

4. That a change between _a_ and _o_ took place by times. The Anglo-Saxon praeterite of _swelle_ is _sweoll_; whilst _ongon_, _bond_, _song_, _gelomp_, are found in the same language for _ongan_, _band_, _sang_, _gelamp_.--Rask's Anglo-Saxon Grammar, p. 90.

5. That _run_ is only an apparent exception, the older form being _rinn_.

The rain _rinns_ down through Merriland town;
So doth it down the Pa.--_Old Ballad._

The Anglo-Saxon form is _yrnan_; in the praeterite _arn_, _urnon_. A transposition has since taken place. The word _run_ seems to have been originally no present, but a praeterite form.

6. That _burst_ is only an apparent exception. Before _r_, _[)e]_, _[)i]_, _[)u]_, are pronounced alike. We draw no distinction between the vowels in _pert_, _flirt_, _hurt_. The Anglo-Saxon forms are, _berste_, _byrst_, _baerse_, _burston_, _borsten_.

_Thirteenth Class._

s. 376. Contains the single word _choose_, in the praeterite _chose_; in Anglo-Saxon, _ce['o]se_, _ce['a]s_.

* * * * *

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