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
u singest
he / heo / hit singe

singular
ic sang
u sunge
he / heo / hit sang

plural (no distinctions of person)

we singa
ge singa
hie singa
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 as the stem vowel of the infinitive; it
should be noted that i of the preterit plural and past participle is short.
e.g.

drfan, drf, drifon, gedrifen = to drive

rsan, rs, rison, gerisen = to rise
bdan, bd, bidon, gebiden = to wait
btan, bt, biton, gebiten = bite

Class II. The normal infinitive vowel is , 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.

bdan, bd, budon, geboden = to offer

brtan, brt, bruton, gebroten = to break
csan, cs, 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-)

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, br, bron, geboren = to bear

cuman, cm ,cmon, gecumen = to come
niman, nm, nmon, 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, sprc, sprcon, gesprecen = to speak

gifan, geaf, gfon, gegifen = to give
cwean, cw, cwdon, gecweden = to say
sn, seah, swon, gesewen = to see

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

faran, fr, fron, gefaren = to go

standan, std, stdon, gestanden = to stand
swerian, swr, swron, gesworen = to swear
hebban, hf, hfon, 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 or . Although this class is often described as
containing reduplicating verbs (compare Latin curr cucurr), the signs of reduplication are
meagre in OE; leolc played (lcan), heht called (htan) are among the few vestiges recorded
even in these the phenomenon is scarcely recognizable without comparing the Gothic cognates
lalik, hahit.
e.g.

feallan, fll, fllon, gefeallen = to fall

healdan, hld, hldon, gehealden = to hold
cnwan, cnw, cnwon, gecnwen = to know
grwan, grw, grwn, gegrwen = to grow

b. Weak verbs (consonantal type)

Verbs where the change of tense is shown by the addition of a suffix containing d, t, (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 ricsia
u ricsast
ge ricsia
he / heo / hit ricsa
hie ricsia

singular
ic ricsode
u 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 hbbe
u hfst
he / heo / hit hf

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

singular
ic hfde
u hfdes
he / heo / hit hfde

past / preterit indicative

plural (no distinctions of person)
we hfdan
ge hfdan
hie hfdan

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

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

b
bist
bi

singular
ic ws
u wre
he / heo / hit ws

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

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: cue (I could) infinitive - cunnan
mot vs. moste / infinitive motan (must)
mg vs. meahte / infinitive magan (may)

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

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

singular
ic wolde
u 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 a ing = 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, -)
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)), ns (I was not), neom (I am not)
6. Interrogation
Questions are mainly expressed by placing the subject after the verb (see distinction OE/ MnE)

[The pupils:] We cildra bidda e, eala lareow, t u tce us sprecan, foram ungelrde we syndon, and
gewmmodlice we spreca.
[The teacher:] Hwt wille ge sprecan?
[The pupils:] Hwt rece we hwt we sprecan, buton hit riht sprc sy and behefe, ns idel oe fracod?
[The teacher:] Wille beswungen on leornunge?
[The pupils:] Leofre ys beon beswungen for lare nne hit ne cunnan.
[The pupils:] Ac we witun e bilewitne wesan and nellan onbelden swincgla us, buton u bi togenydd fram
us.
[The teacher:] Ic axie e, hwt sprycst u? Hwt hfst u weorkes?
[Pupil A:] Ic eom geanwyrde monuc, ond sincge lce dg seofon tida mid gebrorum, ac eahhwere ic
wolde betwenan leornian sprecan on leden gereorde.
[The teacher:] Hwt cunnon as ine geferan?
[Pupil A:] Summe synt yrlincgas, sume scephyrdas, sume oxanhyrdas, sume eac swylce huntan, sume
fisceras, sume fugleras, sume cypmenn, sume scewyrhtan, sealteras, bceras.
[The teacher:] Hwt sgest u, yrlingc? Hu begst u weorc in?
[Pupil B:] Eala, leof hlaford, earle ic deorfe. Ic ga ut on dgrd ywende oxan to felda, ond iugie hie to syl;
nys hit swa stearc winter t ic durre lutian t ham for ege hlafordes mines, ac geiukodan oxan, ond
gefstnodon sceare ond cultre mid re syl, lce dg ic sceal erian fulne cer oe mare.
[The teacher:] Hfst u nigne geferan?
[Pupil B:] Ic hbbe sumne cnapan ywende oxan mid gadisene, e eac swilce nu has is for cylde ond hreame
[The teacher:] Hwt mare dest u?
[Pupil B:] Gewyslice mare ic do. Ic sceal fyllan binne oxena mid hig, ond wterian 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 am ic neom freoh.
[The teacher:] Sceaphyrde, hfst u nig gedeorf?
[Pupil C:] Gea, leof, ic hbbe. On forewerdne morgen ic drife sceap mine to hira lse ond stande ofer hie on
hte ond on cyle mid hundum, y ls wulfas forswelgen hie, ond ic agenlde hie on hira loca, ond melke hie
tweowa on dg, ond hira loca ic hbbe, ond rto ge cyse ge buteran ic do, ond ic eom getrywe hlaforde
minum.
[The teacher:] Eala, oxanhyrde, hwt wyrcst u?
[Pupil D:] Eala, hlaford min, micel ic gedeorfe. nne se yrthlingc unscen a oxan, ic lde hie to lse, ond
ealle niht ic stande ofer hie waciende for eofum, ond eft on rnemergen ic betce hie m yrlincge wel
gefylde ond gewterode
[The teacher:] Is s of inum geferum?
[Pupil A:] Gea, he is.
[The teacher:] Canst u nig ing?
[Pupil E:] nne crft ic cann.
[The teacher:] Hwylcne?
[Pupil E:] Hunta ic eom.
[The teacher:] Hws?
[Pupil E:] Cincges.
[The teacher:] Hu begst u crft inne?
[Pupil E:] Ic brede me max ond sette hie on stowe gehppre, ond getihte hundas mine t wildeor hie ehton,
ot hie becuman to m nettum unforsceawodlice ond t hie swa beon begrynodo, ond ic ofslea hie on
m maxum.
[The teacher:] Ne canst u huntian buton mid nettum?
[Pupil E:] Gea, butan nettum huntian ic mg.
[The teacher:] Hu?
[Pupil E:] Mid swiftum hundum ic betce wildeor.
[The teacher:] Hwilce wildeor swyost gefehst u?
[Pupil E:] Ic gefeo heortas ond baras ond rann ond rgan ond hwilon haran.
[The teacher:] Wre u todg on huntnoe?
[Pupil E:] Ic ns, foram sunnandg is, ac gyrstandg ic ws on huntunge.
[The teacher:] Hwt gelhtest u?
[Pupil E:] Twegen heortas ond nne bar.