A Handbook of the English Language Part 37

-- 301. The following double praeterites are differently explained. The primary one _often_ (but not _always_) is from the Anglo-Saxon _participle_, the secondary from the Anglo-Saxon _praeterite_.

_Present._ _Primary Praeterite._ _Secondary Praeterite._ Cleave Clove [55]Clave.

Steal Stole [55]Stale.

Speak Spoke Spake.

Swear Swore Sware.

Bear Bore Bare.

Tear Tore [55]Tare.

Wear Wore [55]Ware.

Break Broke Brake.

Get Got [55]Gat.

Tread Trod Trad.

Bid Bade Bid.

Eat Ate Ete.

-- 302. The following verbs have only a single form for the praeterite,--

_Present._ _Praeterite._ | _Present._ _Praeterite._ | Fall Fell. | Forsake Forsook.

Befall Befell. | Eat Ate.

Hold Held. | Give Gave.

Draw Drew. | Wake Woke.

Slay Slew. | Grave Grove.

Fly Flew. | Shape Shope.

Blow Blew. | Strike Struck.

Crow Crew. | s.h.i.+ne Shone.

Know Knew. | Abide Abode.

Grow Grew. | Strive Strove.

Throw Threw. | Climb Clomb.

Let Let. | Hide Hid.

Beat Beat. | Dig Dug.

Come Came. | Cling Clung.

Heave Hove. | Swell Swoll.

Weave Wove. | Grind Ground.

Freeze Froze. | Wind Wound.

Shear Sh.o.r.e. | Choose Chose.

---- Quoth. | Stand Stood.

Seethe Sod. | Lie Lay.

Shake Shook. | See Saw.

Take Took. |

-- 303. An arrangement of the preceding verbs into cla.s.ses, according to the change of vowel, is by no means difficult, even in the present stage of the English language. In the Anglo-Saxon, it was easier still. It is also easier in the provincial dialects, than in the literary English. Thus, when

_Break_ is p.r.o.nounced _Breek_, _Bear_ -- _Beer_, _Tear_ -- _Teer_, _Swear_ -- _Sweer_, _Wear_ -- _Weer_,

as they actually are by many speakers, they come in the same cla.s.s with,--

_Speak_ p.r.o.nounced _Speek_, _Cleave_ -- _Cleeve_,

and form their praeterite by means of a similar change, i.e., by changing the sound of the ee in _feet_ (spelt ea) into that of the a in _fate_; viewed thus, the irregularity is less than it appears to be at first sight.

Again, _tread_ is p.r.o.nounced _tredd_, but many provincial speakers say _treed_, and so said the Anglo-Saxons, whose form was _ic trede_ = _I tread_. Their praeterite was _traed_. This again subtracts from the apparent irregularity.

Instances of this kind may be multiplied; the whole question, however, of the conjugation of the _strong verbs_ is best considered after the perusal of the next chapter.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE WEAK TENSES.

-- 304. 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. We say _stabd_, _moved_, _bragd_, &c.

-- 305. When, however, the original word ends in -d or -t, as _slight_ or _brand_, then, and then only is there the real 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 _father's_, &c., applied to another letter and to another part of speech.

-- 306. The verbs of the weak conjugation fall into three cla.s.ses.

I. In the first there is the simple addition of -d, -t, or -ed.

Serve, served. | Dip, dipped (_dipt_).

Cry, cried. | Slip, slipped (_slipt_).

Betray, betrayed. | Step, stepped (_stept_).

Expell, expelled. | Look, looked (_lookt_).

Accuse, accused. | Pluck, plucked (_pluckt_).

Instruct, instructed. | Toss, tossed (_tost_).

Invite, invited. | Push, pushed (_pusht_).

Waste, wasted. | Confess, confessed (_confest_).

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

-- 307. II. In the second cla.s.s, besides the addition of -t or -d, the vowel is _shortened_,

_Present._ _Praeterite._

Creep Crept.