The English Language Part 61

A.

_Present._ _Praeterite sing._ _Praeterite plur._

Scine (_s.h.i.+ne_) Scean (_I shone_) Scinon (_we shone_).

Arise (_arise_) Aras (_I arose_) Arison (_we arose_).

Smite (_smite_) Smat (_I smote_) Smiton (_we smite_).

B.

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

Rise Rose [51]Ris.

Abide Abode -- s.h.i.+ne 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 _scean_; Moeso-Gothic, _skain_; 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 _aras_, _smat_, _bat_, _slat_.

_Twelfth Cla.s.s._

-- 375. In this cla.s.s _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]Sw.a.n.g 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 -- {314} 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 cla.s.s, 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 p.r.o.nounced 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.