The English Language

Bivinda Bivand Bivundum Bivundums.

Fina Fan Funum Funans.

_Anglo-Saxon._ Bind Band Bundon Bunden.

Finde Fand Fundon Funden.

Grinde Grand Grundon Grunden.

Winde Wand Wundon Wunden.

_Old Norse._ Finn Fann Funum 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 Suullumes Old High German.

Hilfu Half Hulfumes Ditto.

Tilfu Talf Tulfumes 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

_Thirteenth Cla.s.s._

-- 376. Contains the single word _choose_, in the praeterite _chose_; in Anglo-Saxon, _ceose_, _ceas_.

{317}

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE WEAK TENSES.

-- 377. The praeterite tense of the weak verbs is formed by the addition of _-d_ or _-t_. If necessary, the syllable _-ed_ is subst.i.tuted for _-d_.

The current statement that the syllable _-ed_, rather than the letter _-d_, is the sign of the praeterite tense, is true only in regard to the written language. In _stabbed_, _moved_, _bragged_, _whizzed_, _judged_, _filled_, _slurred_, _slammed_, _shunned_, _barred_, _strewed_, the _e_ is a point of spelling only. In _language_, except in declamation, there is no second vowel sound. The _-d_ comes in immediate contact with the final letter of the original word, and the number of syllables remains the same as it was before.

When, however, the original word ends in _-d_ or _-t_, as _slight_ or _brand_, then, and then only (and that not always), is there the addition of the syllable _-ed_; as in _slighted_, _branded_. This is necessary, since the combinations _slightt_ and _brandd_ are unp.r.o.nounceable.

Whether the addition be _-d_ or _-t_ depends upon the flatness or sharpness of the preceding letter.

After _b_, _v_, _th_ (as in _clothe_), _g_, or _z_, the addition is _-d_.

This is a matter of necessity. We say _stabd_, _movd_, _clothd_, _braggd_, _whizzd_, because _stabt_, _movt_, _clotht_, _braggt_, _whizzt_, are unp.r.o.nounceable.

After _l_, _m_, _n_, _r_, _w_, _y_, or a vowel, the addition is also _-d_.

This is the habit of the English language. _Filt_, _slurt_, _strayt_, &c., are as p.r.o.nounceable as _filld_, _slurrd_, _strayd_, &c. It is the habit, however, of the English language to prefer the latter forms. All this, as the reader has probably observed, is merely the reasoning concerning the _s_, in words like {318} _father's_, &c., applied to another letter and to another part of speech.

For some historical notices respecting the use of _-d_, _-t_, and _-ed_, in the spelling of the English praeterites and participles, the reader is referred to the Cambridge Philological Museum, vol. i. p. 655.

-- 378. The verbs of the weak conjugation fall into three cla.s.ses. In the first there is the simple addition of _-d_, _-t_, or _-ed_.

Serve, served.

Cry, cried.

Betray, betrayed.

Expel, expelled.

Accuse, accused.

Instruct, instructed.

Invite, invited.

Waste, wasted.

Dip, dipped (_dipt_).

Slip, slipped (_slipt_).

Step, stepped (_stept_).

Look, looked (_lookt_).

Pluck, plucked (_pluckt_).

Toss, tossed (_tost_).

Push, pushed (_pusht_).

Confess, confessed (_confest_)

To this cla.s.s belong the greater part of the weak verbs and all verbs of foreign origin.

-- 379. In the second cla.s.s, besides the addition of _-t_ or _-d_, the vowel is _shortened_. It also contains those words which end in _-d_ or _-t_, and at the same time have a short vowel in the praeterite. Such, amongst others, are _cut_, _cost_, &c., where the two tenses are alike, and _bend_, _rend_, &c., where the praeterite is formed from the present by changing _-d_ into _-t_, as _bent_, _rent_, &c.

In the following list, the words ending in _-p_ are remarkable; since, in Anglo-Saxon, each of them had, instead of a weak, a strong praeterite.

Leave, left.

Cleave, cleft.

Bereave, bereft.

Deal, de[)a]l_t_.