A Handbook of the English Language

by R. G. Latham

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE STRONG TENSES.

[§ 299]. The strong præterites are formed from the present by changing the vowel, as sing, sang; speak, spoke.

In Anglo-Saxon, several præterites change, in their plural, the vowel of their singular; as

Ic sang, I sang.	We sungon, we sung.
þu sunge, thou sungest.	Ge sungon, ye sung.
He sang, he sang.	Hi sungon, they sung.

The bearing of this fact upon the præterites has already been indicated. 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.

In cases where but one form is preserved, that form is not necessarily the singular; indeed, it is often the plural;—e.g., Ic fand, I found, we fundon, we found, are the Anglo-Saxon forms. Now the present word found comes, not from the singular fand, but from the plural fundon; 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.

[§ 300]. The verbs wherein the double form of the present præterite is thus explained, fall into two classes.

1. In the first class, the Anglo-Saxon forms were á in the singular, and i in the plural; as—

Sing.	Plur.
Sceán	Scinon (we shone).
Arás	Arison (we arose).
Smát	Smiton (we smote).

This accounts for—

Present.	Præt. from Sing. form.	Præt. from Plur. form.
Rise	Rose	Ris.[[54]]
Smite	Smote	Smit.
Ride	Rode	Rid.[[54]]
Stride	Strode	Strid.
Slide	Slode[[54]]	Slid.
Chide	Chode[[54]]	Chid.
Drive	Drove	Driv.[[54]]
Thrive	Throve	Thriv.
Write	Wrote	Writ.
Slit	Slat[[54]]	Slit.
Bite	Bat[[54]]	Bit.

2. In the second class, the Anglo-Saxon forms were a in the singular, and u in the plural, as—

Sing.	Plur.
Band	Bundon (we bound).
Fand	Fundon (we found).
Grand	Grundon (we ground).
Wand	Wundon (we wound).

This accounts for—

Present.	Præt. from Sing. form.	Præt. from Pl. form.
Swim	Swam	Swum.
Begin	Began	Begun.
Spin	Span[[55]]	Spun.
Win	Wan[[55]]	Won.[[56]]
Sing	Sang	Sung.
Swing	Swang[[55]]	Swung.
Spring	Sprang	Sprung.
Sting	Stang[[55]]	Stung.
Ring	Rang	Rung.
Wring	Wrang[[55]]	Wrung.
Fling	Flang	Flung.
Hing[[55]]	Hang	Hung.
String	Strang[[55]]	Strung.
Sink	Sank	Sunk.
Drink	Drank	Drunk.
Shrink	Shrank	Shrunk.
Stink	Stank[[55]]	Stunk.
Melt	Molt[[55]]	—
Help	Holp[[55]]	—
Delve	Dolv[[55]]	—
Stick	Stack[[55]]	Stuck.
Run	Ran	Run.
Burst	Brast	Burst.
Bind	Band	Bound.
Find	Fand[[55]]	Found.

[§ 301]. The following double præterites are differently explained. The primary one often (but not always) is from the Anglo-Saxon participle, the secondary from the Anglo-Saxon præterite.

Present.	Primary Præterite.	Secondary Præterite.
Cleave	Clove	Clave[[55]].
Steal	Stole	Stale[[55]].
Speak	Spoke	Spake.
Swear	Swore	Sware.
Bear	Bore	Bare.
Tear	Tore	Tare[[55]].
Wear	Wore	Ware[[55]].
Break	Broke	Brake.
Get	Got	Gat[[55]].
Tread	Trod	Trad.
Bid	Bade	Bid.
Eat	Ate	Ete.

[§ 302]. The following verbs have only a single form for the præterite,—

Present.	Præterite.	Present.	Præterite.
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.	Shine	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	Shore.	Choose	Chose.
——	Quoth.	Stand	Stood.
Seethe	Sod.	Lie	Lay.
Shake	Shook.	See	Saw.
Take	Took.

[§ 303]. An arrangement of the preceding verbs into classes, 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 pronounced	Breek,
Bear	—	Beer,
Tear	—	Teer,
Swear	—	Sweer,
Wear	—	Weer,

as they actually are by many speakers, they come in the same class with,—

Speak	pronounced	Speek,
Cleave	—	Cleeve,

and form their præterite 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 pronounced tredd, but many provincial speakers say treed, and so said the Anglo-Saxons, whose form was ic trede = I tread. Their præterite was træd. 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.

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