CHAPTER XXV.
ON CONJUGATION.
[§ 321]. Attention is directed to the following list of verbs. In the present English they all form the præterite in -d or -t; in Anglo-Saxon, they all formed it by a change of the vowel. In other words they are weak verbs that were once strong.
| Præterites. |
| English. | Anglo-Saxon. |
| Present. | Præterite. | Present. | Præterite. |
| Wreak | Wreaked. | Wrece | Wrǽc. |
| Fret | Fretted. | Frete | Frǽt. |
| Mete | Meted. | Mete | Mǽt. |
| Shear | Sheared. | Scere | Scear. |
| Braid | Braided. | Brede | Brǽd. |
| Knead | Kneaded. | Cnede | Cnǽd. |
| Dread | Dreaded. | Drǽde | Dred. |
| Sleep | Slept. | Slápe | Slep. |
| Fold | Folded. | Fealde | Feold. |
| Wield | Wielded. | Wealde | Weold. |
| Wax | Waxed. | Weaxe | Weox. |
| Leap | Leapt. | Hleápe | Hleop. |
| Sweep | Swept. | Swápe | Sweop. |
| Weep | Wept. | Wepe | Weop. |
| Sow | Sowed. | Sáwe | Seow. |
| Bake | Baked. | Bace | Bók. |
| Gnaw | Gnawed. | Gnage | Gnóh. |
| Laugh | Laughed. | Hlihhe | Hlóh. |
| Wade | Waded. | Wade | Wód. |
| Lade | Laded. | Hlade | Hlód. |
| Grave | Graved. | Grafe | Gróf. |
| Shave | Shaved. | Scafe | Scóf. |
| Step | Stepped. | Steppe | Stóp. |
| Wash | Washed. | Wacse | Wócs. |
| Bellow | Bellowed. | Belge | Bealh. |
| Swallow | Swallowed. | Swelge | Swealh. |
| Mourn | Mourned. | Murne | Mearn. |
| Spurn | Spurned. | Spurne | Spearn. |
| Carve | Carved. | Ceorfe | Cearf. |
| Starve | Starved. | Steorfe | Stærf. |
| Thresh | Threshed. | Þersce | Þærsc. |
| Hew | Hewed. | Heawe | Heow. |
| Flow | Flowed. | Flówe | Fleow. |
| Row | Rowed. | Rówe | Reow. |
| Creep | Crept. | Creópe | Creáp. |
| Dive | Dived. | Deófe | Deáf. |
| Shove | Shoved. | Scéofe | Sceáf. |
| Chew | Chewed. | Ceówe | Ceáw. |
| Brew | Brewed. | Breówe | Breáw. |
| Lock | Locked. | Lûce | Leác. |
| Suck | Sucked. | Sûce | Seác. |
| Reek | Reeked. | Reóce | Reác. |
| Smoke | Smoked. | Smeóce | Smeác. |
| Bow | Bowed. | Beóge | Beáh. |
| Lie | Lied. | Leóge | Leáh. |
| Gripe | Griped. | Grípe | Gráp. |
| Span | Spanned. | Spanne | Spén. |
| Eke | Eked. | Eáce | Eóc. |
| Fare | Fared. | Fare | Fôr. |
[§ 322]. Respecting the strong verb, the following general statements may be made:
1. Many strong verbs become weak; whilst no weak verb ever becomes strong.
2. All the strong verbs are of Saxon origin. None are classical.
3. The greater number of them are strong throughout the Gothic tongues.
4. No new word is ever, upon its importation, inflected according to the strong conjugation. It is always weak. As early as A.D. 1085, the French word adouber = to dub, was introduced into English. Its præterite was dubbade.
5. All derived words are inflected weak. The intransitive forms drink and lie, are strong; the transitive forms drench and lay, are weak.
This shows that the division of verbs into weak and strong is a truly natural one.