CHAP. V. CONJUGATION.
GENERAL REMARKS.
§ [167]. The Gothic verb has the following forms:
1. Two voices, Activ and Midl. The Activ Voice alone has preservd a great variety of forms. The Midl Voice is retaind in but a few forms of the prs. indicativ and optativ, which occur, however, very often. The midl forms hav a passiv meaning. Therefore the Midl Voice is also calld Passiv or Medio-Passiv Voice.
Note 1. The lost passiv forms ar supplied by the pp. along with the corresponding forms of waírþan or wisan; e. g., daupjada, he is baptized, but daupiþs was or warþ, he was baptized. Cp. Zs. fdph., 5, 409 et seq.
Note 2. The originally inchoativ verbs in -nan ([§ 194]) frequently hav a medial meaning ([§ 194]).
2. Two tenses, Present and Preterit (Perfect). The Preterit is the general tense for the past. The future is wanting; its place is mostly supplied by the present, seldom by means of auxiliary verbs (skulan, shal; haban, hav; duginnan, to begin).
3. Two complete moods, Indicativ and Optativ (also calld Subjunctiv). An Imperativ occurs only in the present; it has the second persons of all three numbers and a 1st pers. pl.—There ar but few instances of a 3d pers. sg. and pl. imper. This is uzually exprest by the 3d pers. opt. But also the 2nd and 1st pers. imp. ar frequently exprest by the opt.
4. Three numbers: Singular, Dual, and Plural. The 3d pers. du. is wanting.
5. The Present Infinitiv, the Present Participl with an activ meaning, and the Preterit Partic. with a passiv meaning.
§ [168]. The Gothic verbs ar, from a Germanic point of view, divided according to the formation of the preterit in relation to the present into two chief classes:
I. Strong Verbs.
The strong verbs do not form the preterit with an additional suffix, but by change of the radical vowel or by reduplication. Thus, we hav two subdivisions:
1. Ablaut Verbs. The preterit of these verbs is formd without reduplication. It differs from the present only by a regular change of the radical vowel, the so-calld ablaut (cp. [§ 29]); e. g., binda, I bind, band, I bound.
2. Reduplicating Verbs. The prt. has reduplication, but no ablaut; e. g., halda, I hold, haíhald, I held.
3. Reduplicating Ablaut Verbs. A smaller number of verbs hav the prt. both with ablaut and reduplication; e. g., lêta, I let; laílôt, I let (prt.).
II. Weak Verbs.
The weak verbs form the preterit by the addition of a suffix beginning with a dental consonant; e. g., nasja, I save, nasida, I saved. This suffixal element, -da, was formerly regarded as a form of the verb 'do' (Germanic dôn), wherefore the weak prt. was also calld 'compound preterit'.
The weak verbs (except a few) ar derivativ verbs. According to their formativ suffixes, which ar best preservd in the preterit forms, they ar divided into four classes: (1) Suffix i (in the present j): nasja, nasi-da. (2) Suffix ô: salbô, salbô-da. (3) Suffix ai (in the present in part obscured): haba, habai-da. (4) Suffix nô (in the present n): fullna, fullnô-da.
Note. The small number of verbs which can not be referd to the two chief classes must, according to this classification, be considerd 'irregular'.
I. STRONG VERBS.
A. INFLECTION OF THE STRONG VERBS.
§ [169]. The inflection of the strong verbs (by means of personal endings) is the same in all three classes ([§ 168]). Therefore we first giv the paradims of inflection and then discuss the formation of the tense-stems (which is different in each class). As paradims may serv a reduplicating verb, haitan, to be calld, and two ablaut verbs, niman, to take, and biudan, to offer.
§ [170].
Note 1. biudan is subject to the rules for the final soft spirants ([§ 79]): imper. sg. biuþ, prt. bauþ (cp. § 374). Likewise giban, gif, gaf (cp. [§ 56]).
Note 2. The termination of the 2nd pers. sg. prt. (-t) causes the change stated in the rule for consonants before dentals ([§ 81]). Final b of stems becums f: gaft (inf. giban); exampls for pt ar wanting: skôpt or skôft? (inf. skapjan); —g remains unchanged in magt ([§ 66], n. 1), other exampls ar wanting; neither ar there any exampls for kt (wôkt or wôht? cp. [§ 58], n. 2); —dentals becum s: warst < waírþan, qast < qiþan ([§ 71], n. 3), gastôst < standan, baust < biudan ([§ 75], n. 1), bigast < gitan, haíhaist < haitan ([§ 69], n. 2).—The extant 2nd pers. prt. of saísô (inf. saian) is saísôst. On account of the scarcity of exampls it is uncertain whether all stems ending in a vowel had -st.—The 2nd pers. prt. of rinnan is rant ([§ 80]).
Note 3. Only one strong verb is found (twice) in the 3d pers. sg. imper.: atsteigadan, καταβάτω; Mt. XXVII, 42. Mk. XV, 32 (cp. [§ 186], n. 1). The 3d pers. pl. may be givn with certainty according to the weak verb ([§ 192], n. 1).
Note 4. The dual forms of the verb occur very seldom. The 1st pers. du. opt. prt., nêmeiwa, etc., which is only givn according to the corresponding form of the prs. nimaiwa, is not found at all. Also the 2nd pers. du. opt. prt. is but an inferd form according to the anomalous wileits ([§ 205]).
Note 5. Concerning the irregular formation of the present of sum strong verbs with j, s. [§ 206], n.
B. TENSE-FORMATION OF THE STRONG VERBS.
1. Ablaut Verbs.
§ [171]. The ablaut verbs form their tense-stems by a regular change of the radical vowel, the so-calld ablaut. The several ablaut-series and the conditions of their appearance wil be found givn in [§§ 30]-35. To each of these series belong ablaut verbs, and therefore six ablaut classes must be distinguisht. Each ablaut verb contains four ablaut vowels which appear in the formation of the verb in the following manner: (1) The first vowel belongs to the present and to what is connected with the present (prsp., inf., also medio-passiv). (2) The second vowel is that of the sg. prt. indic. (3) The third vowel appears in the du. and pl. prt. indic. and thruout the prt. opt. (4) The fourth vowel belongs to the pp.
In order to determin the inflection of a strong verb, it is customary to giv the following four forms (principal parts): (1) 1st pers. sg. prs. indic., or the prs. inf.; (2) 1st pers. sg. prt. indic.; (3) 1st pers. pl. prt. indic.; (4) the pp.
In the following we arrange the ablaut verbs according to their classes.
§ [172]. Class I. Verbs of the first ablaut series: ei—ái—i (aí) (cp. [§ 30]); e. g., greipa, graip, gripum, gripans, to gripe, seiz; i before h (ƕ) becums aí by breaking ([§ 20]): leiƕa, láiƕ, laíƕum, laíƕans, to lend.
Note 1. Like these inflect: deigan, to knead; steigan, to mount; gateihan, to show; þeihan, to thrive; þreihan, to throng; weihan, to fight; —beitan, to bite; dis-kreitan, to tear to pieces; ga-smeitan, to smear; -weitan (inweitan, to wurship; fraweitan, to punish); beidan, to wait; leiþan, to go; sneiþan, to cut; —weipan, to crown; dreiban, to drive; bi-leiban, to remain; sweiban, to cease; —reisan, to rize; skeinan, to shine; hneiwan, to decline, bow; speiwan, to spit.
Note 2. The n of keinan (OHG. kînan), to germinate, occurs only in the prs. stem (cp. [§ 206], b); the pp. is kijans (only in uskijanata; Lu. VIII, 6). The prt. *kai, *kijum, has been replaced by a weak prt. of the IV. weak conjugation (keinôda, [§ 195], n. 2). Cp. Kluge, 'Germ. Conjug.', 143.
Note 3. The verb neiwan, to hav a quarrel against, occurs only in a sumwhat doutful exampl: naiw; Mk. VI, 19. Cp. Bernhardt, 'Vulfila', p. 282, and Zs. fdph., 7, 112. 484.
§ [173]. Class II. Verbs of the second ablaut series: iu—au—u (aú)—u (aú) (cp. [§ 31]); e. g., biuda, bauþ, budum, budans, to offer; with breaking ([§ 24]): tiuha, táuh, taúhum, taúhans, to draw, lead.
Note 1. Like tiuhan inflect: siukan, to be sick; biugan, to bend; driugan, to perform military service; liugan, to lie; þliuhan, to flee; —giutan, to pour; usþriutan, to trubl, vex; niutan, to enjoy; liudan, to grow; —dis-hniupan, to break to pieces; sliupan, to slip; af-skiuban, to shuv away; hiufan, to weep; driusan, to fall; kiusan, to choose; fra-liusan, to lose; kriustan, to gnash.
Note 2. The vowel of the prs. is irregular in lûka, lauk, lukum, lukans, to lock.
§ [174]. Class III. Verbs of the third ablaut series: i (aí)—a—u (aú)—u (aú) (cp. [§ 32]); e. g., binda, band, bundum, bundans, to bind; with breaking ([§§ 20]. [24]): waírpa, warp, waúrpum, waúrpans, to throw, cast.
Note 1. Like these inflect: brinnan, to burn; du-ginnan, to begin; af-linnan, to depart; rinnan, to run; spinnan, to spin; winnan, to suffer; —trimpan, to tred; —fra-slindan, to devour; windan, to wind; hinþan, to cach; finþan, to find; þinsan, to draw; —stiggan (only by conjecture in Mt. V, 29), to sting; bliggwan, to beat ([§ 68], 2); siggwan, to sing; sigqan, to sink; stigqan, to thrust; drigkan, to drink; —gildan, to be of value; swiltan, to die; hilpan, to help; filhan, to hide; wilwan, to rob; —baírgan, to hide, keep; gaírdan, to gird; waírþan, to becum; ga-þaírsan, to wither; swaírban, to wipe; ƕaírban, to walk; —þriskan, to thresh; ga-wrisqan, to bear fruit (these two only in the prs. tense, in I. Tim. V, 18. Lu. VIII, 14).
Note 2. According to its prs. tense, also briggan would belong here; s. [§ 208].
§ [175]. Class IV. Verbs of the fourth ablaut series: i (aí)—a—ê—u (aú) (cp. [§ 33]); e. g., nima, nam, nêmum, umans, to take; with breaking ([§§ 20]. [24]): baíra, bar, bêrum, baúrans, to bear.
Note 1. Like these inflect: qiman, to cum; ga-timan, to suit; stilan, to steal; ga-taíran, to tear; —brikan, to break ([§ 33], n. 1).
Note 2. Here belongs also trudan, [traþ], [trêdum], trudans, to tred (ON. troða, trað, traðum, troðinn; in OHG. according to V.: trëtan, trat, trátum, trëtan). According to trudan, we should also write wulan, to boil (only prsp. wulandans occurs; Rom. XII, 11).
§ [176]. Class V. Verbs of the fifth ablaut series: i (aí)—a—ê—i (aí) (cp. [§ 34]); e. g., mita, mat, mêtum, mitans, to mezure; giba, gaf, gêbum, gibans, to giv.
Note 1. Here belong also wrikan, to persecute; rikan (found in the prs. only), to accumulate; ligan, to lie; ga-wigan, to move; saíƕan, to see (cp. [§ 34], n. 1); —hlifan, to steal; —bigitan, to get, obtain; sitan, to sit; fitan, to bear (children)?; widan, to bind; qiþan, to say; niþan, to help (?); —lisan, to gather; ga-nisan, to recuver; wisan, to remain.
Note 2. sniwan, to hasten, has sniwa, snau ([§ 42]), snêwum, sniwans. Onse occurs the prt. snauh (with additional h; cp. [§ 62], n. 4), onse sniwun for snêwun ([§ 7], n. 3).—Like sniwan inflects probably diwan, to die, of which only the pp. (þata) diwanô occurs.
Note 3. The prt. sg. of itan is, irregularly, êt, not at; only the cpd. frêt (< fra-itan, to eat up; [§ 4], n. 1; [§ 7], b) is extant. Hense itan, êt, êtum, itans. Cp. the OHG. prts. âz frâz (ahd. gr., § 343, n. 5), ON. át. Möller, 'Engl. Studien', 3, 154.
Note 4. The n of fraíhnan, to ask, occurs only in the prs. stem: fraíhna, frah, frêhum, fraíhans (cp. [§ 206], b).
Note 5. The j in bidjan occurs in the prs. stem only: bidja, baþ, bêdum, bidans (cp. [§ 206], n.). Onse the prs. is found without j: usbida; Rom. IX, 3.
§ [177]. Class VI. Verbs of the sixth ablaut series: a—ô—ô—a (cp. [§ 35]); e. g., slaha, slôh, slôhum, slahans, to strike.
Note 1. Like slahan go: sakan, to quarrel; wakan, to wake; dragan, to carry, load; þwahan, to wash; hlaþan, to load; ga-daban, to becum, fit; ga-draban, to hew; graban, to dig; skaban, to shave; alan, to grow; malan, to grind; swaran, to swear; faran, to fare, go; us-anan, to expire. Sum of these verbs occur only in the prs.: wakan, dragan, alan, malan, faran.
Note 2. Sum verbs of this class hav j in the present stem, which is wanting in the prt. and pp.; e. g., hafjan, to heav, forms: hafja, hôf, hôfum, hafans. So do: fraþjan, to understand; hlahjan, to laf; skapjan, to shape, make; skaþjan, to do scath, to injure; wahsjan, to wax, grow. Doutful is the prs. form *garaþjan which is uzually inferd from the pp. garaþana (Mt. X, 30), to count.—Cp. [§ 206], n.
Note 3. The n of standan occurs only in the present stem (cp. [§ 206], b): standa, stôþ, stôþum. The pp. *staþans (ON. staðinn) is wanting; cp. Anz. fda., 14, 286.
2. Reduplicating Verbs.
§ [178]. The preterit of the reduplicating verbs is formd by reduplication only, the radical vowel remaining unchanged. The reduplication consists of the initial consonant together with the constant reduplication vowel aí (short e; s. [§ 20]); e. g., haita, I am calld, prt. haíhait; ƕôpa, I boast, prt. ƕaíƕôp. When the word begins with two consonants, only the first is repeated; e. g., fraisa, I tempt, prt. faífrais. The initial combinations st, sk, [sp], however, ar repeated together; e. g., (ga-)stalda, I possess, prt. staístald; skaida, I separate, prt. skaískaiþ. When the word begins with a vowel, only the reduplication vowel is prefixt; e. g., auka, I increase, prt. aíauk.
The pp. is formd without reduplication: haitans, fraisans, etc.
§ [179]. The reduplicating verbs may be divided into five classes according to their radical vowels: (1) a (â). (2) ê. (3) ai. (4) ô. (5) au. Sinse the vowel remains unchanged in the hole verb, it causes no change of inflection. Therefore the paradim haitan (givn in [§ 170]) is sufficient for all classes.
The preterits of the following reduplicating verbs ar extant:
(1) haldan, to hold; falþan, to fold; staldan, to possess; —fâhan, to cach (prt. faífâh, pl. faífâhum, pp. fâhans), hâhan, to hang ([§ 62], n. 2).
(2) slêpan, to sleep (concerning the prt., cp. [§ 78], n. 3).
(3) af-aikan, to deny; fraisan, to tempt; haitan, to be calld; laikan, to leap; maitan, to cut off; skaidan, to separate.
(4) ƕôpan, to boast; flôkan, to lament.—The inf. belonging to the prt. laílôun (Jo. IX, 28) is probably (according to [§ 26], n.) *lauan, to revile. Cp. [§ 22], n. 2.
(5) aukan, to increase.
Note 1. It is tolerably certain that several verbs of which the preterit does not occur belong here too: (1) us-alþan, to grow old; blandan, to blend; saltan, to salt; waldan, to wield, rule; ana-praggan, to oppress, harass. (2) blêsan, to blow. (3) ga-þláihan, to cumfurt, caress. (4) blôtan, to wurship. (5) stautan, to thrust, smite; hlaupan, to run.
Note 2. bauan, to dwel, which formerly belongd here according to the testimony of other Germanic dialects, has the weak prt. bauaida and is referd to the third weak conjugation ([§ 193]) also because of the f. bauains ([§ 103], n. 1). But the 3d pers. sg. is bauiþ which is stil a form of the strong conjugation. The inflection of the Goth. bnauan, to rub, which occurs only onse (bnauandans; Lu. VI, 1) can not be determind; its ON. correspondence, *bnúa, (g)núa (altisl. gr., § 433; cp. Zs. fdph., 17, 250), like the OHG. nûan, niuwan (ahd. gr., § 334, n. 5) belongs to the strong inflection; trauan, however, follows the weak inflection thruout.—Cp. [§ 26], b.
Note 3. gaggan, to go, pp. gaggans, has lost its prt. *gaígagg, which is replaced by other forms. Cp. [§ 207].
Note 4. Insted of flôkan the form flêkan was formerly uzed on account of the isolated prt. faíflôkun (according to [§ 181]). That this is wrong was shown by Bezzenberger, 'Ueber die a-reihe der got. spr.', p. 564. Cp. also Gallée, 'Noord en Zuid', 4, 54 et seq.
Note 5. arjandan (in Lu. XVII, 7) seems to refer to a red. v. arjan (to plow), w. a j-present (206a); cp. OHG. erien, iar, giaran (ahd. gr., § 350, n. 5).
3. Reduplicating Ablaut Verbs.
§ [180]. A number of verbs with the stem-vowel ê in the present (or final ai in the root) hav the ablaut of the ê—ô-series (s. [§ 36]). The prt. has the vowel ô and reduplication. In the pp. appears the same vowel as in the prs. These verbs ar divided into two classes according to the vowel of the prs.:
§ [181]. I. Stems ending in a consonant hav ê in the prs.; e. g., lêtan, to let, which has lêta, laílôt, laílôtum, lêtans. Of this kind ar also grêtan (gaígrôt), to weep; têkan (taítôk), to tuch; -rêdan (raírôþ), to counsel.
§ [182]. II. Roots ending in a vowel change the ê into ai ([§ 22]). Here belong: saian, to sow: saia, saísô, saísôum, saians (concerning other forms, cp. [§ 22], n. 1; [§ 170], n. 2), and waian (waíwô), to blow.
Note. The prt. of faian, to blame, is not extant; cp. [§ 22], n. 2.
II. WEAK VERBS.
§ [183]. The formation and inflection of the prt. and pp. of the four classes of the weak verbs ([§ 168]) ar alike. The pp. is formd by means of the suffix -da- (nom. m. -þs) which is in all classes added to the verbal stem. The latter varies according to the formativ suffix and causes in the present forms a considerabl difference of inflection in the four classes. We first giv the inflection of the prt., which is the same in all classes.
1. INFLECTION OF THE WEAK PRETERIT.
§ [184]. Paradims: nasida, salbôda, habaida, fullnôda. Only one exampl is necessary to show the inflection.
| Indicativ. | Optativ. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. | 1. | nasi-da | nasi-dêdjau |
| 2. | nasi-dês | nasi-dêdeis | |
| 3. | nasi-da | nasi-dêdi | |
| Dual | 1. | nasi-dêdu | nasi-dêdeiwa |
| 2. | nasi-dêduts | nasi-dêdeits | |
| Plur. | 1. | nasi-dêdum | nasi-dêdeima |
| 2. | nasi-dêduþ | nasi-dêdeiþ | |
| 3. | nasi-dêdun | nasi-dêdeina | |
What has been said in [§ 170], n. 4 concerns also the 1st and 2nd pers. du. optativ.
2. FIRST WEAK CONJUGATION (-jan).
§ [185]. The verbs of this class hav the formativ suffix i which appears in the present as j (inf. -jan). This j and a following i ar either contracted into ei (according to [§ 44], c and n. 1) or remain ji. Thus we hav two subdivisions: (a) Verbs with short stem-syllabls; e. g., nasjan, to save, or verbs in a long vowel; as, stôjan, to judge. (b) Verbs with long stem-syllabls ending in a consonant; e. g., sôkjan, to seek, and polysyllabic verbs; e. g., mikiljan, to praise.
§ [186].
| (a) Present (Activ). | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicativ. | ||||
| Sing. | 1. | nasja | stôja | sôkja |
| 2. | nasjis | stôjis | sôkeis | |
| 3. | nasjiþ | stôjiþ | sôkeiþ | |
| Dual | 1. | nasjôs | stôjôs | sôkjôs |
| 2. | nasjats | stôjats | sôkjats | |
| Plur. | 1. | nasjam | stôjam | sôkjam |
| 2. | nasjiþ | stôjiþ | sôkeiþ | |
| 3. | nasjand | stôjand | sôkjand | |
| Optativ. | ||||
| Sing. | 1. | nasjau | stôjau | sôkjau |
| 2. | nasjais | etc. | etc. | |
| 3. | nasjai | |||
| Dual | 1. | nasjaiwa | ||
| 2. | nasjaits | |||
| Plur. | 1. | nasjaima | ||
| 2. | nasjaiþ | |||
| 3. | nasjaina | |||
| Imperativ. | ||||
| Sing. | 2. | nasei | [stauei] | sôkei |
| 3. | nasjadau | stôjadau | sôkjadau | |
| Dual | 2. | nasjats | stôjats | sôkjats |
| Plur. | 1. | nasjam | stôjam | sôkjam |
| 2. | nasjiþ | stôjiþ | sôkeiþ | |
| 3. | nasjandau | stôjandau | sôkjandau | |
| Infinitiv. | ||||
| nasjan | stôjan | sôkjan | ||
| Participl. | ||||
| nasjands | stôjands | sôkjands | ||
| (b) Preterit. | ||||
| nasida | stauida | sôkida | ||
| (Inflection [§ 184].) | ||||
| (c) Preterit Participl (Passiv). | ||||
| nasiþs | stauiþs | sôkiþs | ||
| (d) Medio-Passiv: Present. | ||||
| Indicativ. | ||||
| Sing. | 1. | 3. nasjada | stôjada | sôkjada |
| 2. | nasjaza | stôjaza | sôkjaza | |
| Plur. | 1. 2. 3. | nasjanda | stôjanda | sôkjanda |
| Optativ. | ||||
| Sing. | 1. 3. | nasjaidau | stôjaidau | sôkjaidau |
| 2. | nasjaizau | stôjaizau | sôkjaizau | |
| Plur. | 1. 2. 3. | nasjaindau | stôjaindau | sôkjaindau |
Note 1. The 3d pers. sg. imper. is preservd in lausjadau, ῥυσάσθω; Mt. XXVII, 43 (cp. [§ 170], n. 3). The 3d pers. pl. would be lausjandau according to [§ 192], n. 1.
Note 2. The 2nd pers. sg. imper. stauei (inf. stôjan) is suggested by the prt. stauida according to [§ 26].
§ [187]. Further exampls of this very numerous class: (a) 1. verbs with short stem-syllabls: waljan, to choose; ga-tamjan, to tame; uf-þanjan, to strech; warjan, to forbid; lagjan, to lay; us-wakjan, to awake; satjan, to set; wasjan, to vest, clothe; hazjan, to praise; huljan, to cuver; 2. stems ending in a vowel: taujan (imper. sg. tawei, prt. tawida, pp. tawiþs), to do; *straujan, to strew (only the prt. strawida and pp. strawiþs ar extant); qiujan (qiwida), to quicken; ana-niujan (-niwida), to renew; siujan, to sew; —concerning *môjan (in afmôjan, to weary) and *dôjan (in afdôjan, to tire out), s. [§ 26], a.
(b) verbs with long stems and polysyllabic verbs: mêljan, to write; mêrjan, to preach; sipônjan, to be a disciple; hnaiwjan, to abase; hrainjan, to clean; hausjan, to hear; þiuþjan, to bless; —brannjan, to burn; sandjan, to send; namnjan, to name; andbahtjan, to serv; glitmunjan, to glitter; haúrnjan, to blow the horn.
Note 1. kaupatjan, to buffet, has the prt. kaupasta (without i; cp. [§ 75]), but the pp. kaupatiþs (cp. [§ 209], n. 1). The verbs lauhatjan, to shine; swôgatjan, to sigh, occur in the prs. only.
Note 2. Sum primary verbs with j in the present stem inflect in the present like the weak verbs of the first class. In the prt. they ar either strong or weak without the formativ suffix i. Cp. [§ 206], a ([§ 209]).
Note 3. Only two verbs assume occasionally forms of the 2nd weak conjugation: hausjan, to hear, beside hausjôn (occurs several times); pp. un-beistjôþs, unlevend, but ga-beistjan, to leven.
Note 4. Like the 2nd pers. du. and pl. imper. of nasjan go the interjectional hirjats, hirjiþ. The sg. hiri is irregular. Cp. [§ 219].
§ [188]. Verbs of this class ar derived from verbs, adjectivs and substantivs. Their meaning is predominantly causativ. Causativs from strong ablaut verbs hav the vowel of the prt. sg.; e. g., wandjan, to wend, turn (< windan); dragkjan, to giv to drink (< drigkan); ur-raisjan, to raiz (< ur-reisan, to arize); ga-drausjan, to cause to fall (< driusan).—Also verbs derived from adjectivs and substantivs show, with few exceptions, a causativ meaning; e. g., háuhjan, to make high (< háuhs); hailjan, to heal (< hails); warmjan, to warm (< warms); —dailjan, to deal (< dails); taiknjan, to make a sign, to show (< taikns, a token); etc.—Only a few hav an intransitiv meaning, e. g., sipônjan, to be a disciple; faúrhtjan, to fear.
3. SECOND WEAK CONJUGATION (-ôn).
§ [189]. The formativ suffix (ô) occurs in this class not only in the prt., but also in the hole prs., and absorbs the initial vowels appearing in the endings of the strong verb. Paradim: salbôn, to anoint.
| (a) Present. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indic. | Opt. | Imper. | ||
| Sing. | 1. | salbô | salbô | — |
| 2. | salbôs | salbôs | salbô | |
| 3. | salbôþ | salbô | salbôdau | |
| Dual | 1. | salbôs | salbôwa | — |
| 2. | salbôts | salbôts | salbôts | |
| Plur. | 1. | salbôm | salbôma | salbôm |
| 2. | salbôþ | salbôþ | salbôþ | |
| 3. | salbônd | salbôna | salbôndau | |
| Infinitiv: | salbôn | |||
| Participl: | salbônds | |||
| (b) Preterit. | ||||
| salbôda, -dês, -da, etc. (s. [§ 184]). | ||||
| (c) Pret. Participl Passiv. | ||||
| salbôþs | ||||
| (d) Medio-Passiv: Present. | ||||
| Indic. | Opt. | |||
| Sing. | 1. 3. | salbôda | salbôdau | |
| 2. | salbôza | salbôzau | ||
| Plur. | 1. 2. 3. | salbônda | salbôndau | |
Note. No exampls of the 3. pers. sg. and pl. imper. ar extant, but they may be safely inferd like other forms; e. g., the dual forms, or the 2nd pers. sg. midl: salbôza, salbôzau, which hav been merely inferd according to the other conjugations.
§ [190]. The number of verbs of the 2nd class is greater than that of the 3d, but much smaller than that of the verbs in -jan. Exampls: mitôn, to think; ƕarbôn, to wander; fiskôn, to fish; sidôn, to practis; idreigôn, to repent; awiliudôn, to thank; þiudanôn, to be king; faginôn, to rejoice; fraujinôn, to rule; reikinôn, to rule; frijôn, to luv; sunjôn, to justify; hausjôn ([§ 187], n. 3).
4. THIRD WEAK CONJUGATION (-an).
§ [191]. Verbs of this class hav the formativ suffix -ai. This, however, appears in all forms of the prt. (and in the pp.), while it occurs in but few forms of the present and what belongs to the prs., the greater number following entirely the present forms of the strong verb. The ai is found in the present only where the terminations of the strong verb begin with i which it absorbs (thus, in the 2nd and 3d pers. sg. indic., in the 2nd pers. pl. indic., and in 2nd pers. pl. imper.), and in 2nd pers. sg. imper. (which has no termination).—But the ai is entirely wanting before the endings beginning with a (ô).
§ [192]. Paradim haban, to hav.
| (a) Present. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indic. | Opt. | Imper. | ||
| Sing. | 1. | haba | habau | — |
| 2. | habais | habais | habai | |
| 3. | habaiþ | habai | habadau | |
| Dual | 1. | habôs | habaiwa | — |
| 2. | habats | habaits | habats | |
| Plur. | 1. | habam | habaima | habam |
| 2. | habaiþ | habaiþ | habaiþ | |
| 3. | haband | habaina | habandau | |
| Infinitiv: | haban | |||
| Participl: | habands | |||
| (b) Preterit. | ||||
| habaida, -dês, -da, etc. (s. [§ 184]). | ||||
| (c) Preterit Participl. | ||||
| habaiþs | ||||
| (d) Medio-Passiv: Present. | ||||
| Indic. | Opt. | |||
| Sing. | 1. 3. | habada | habaidau | |
| 2. | habaza | habaizau | ||
| Plur. | habanda | habaindau | ||
Note. An exampl of the 3d pers. pl. imper. is extant in this conjugation only: liugandau, γαμησάτωσαν; I. Cor. VII, 9.
§ [193]. Verbs of this class ar mostly intransitiv. Their number is comparativly small. Exampls: þahan, to be silent; þulan, to suffer; liban, to liv; ana-silan, to be silent; fijan, to hate; trauan, to trust (cp. [§ 26]); saúrgan, to sorrow; liugan, to marry.
Note. hatan, to hate, fluctuates between this and the 1st weak conj. (hatjan); —bauan, to dwel, has the 3d pers. sg. prs. indic. strong: bauiþ; cp. [§ 179], n. 2.
5. FOURTH WEAK CONJUGATION (-nan).
§ [194]. By means of the suff. -no- in the prt., n (-na-) in the present, verbs ar formd in Gothic which denote an entering into a state; therefore they hav an 'inchoativ' meaning. When they hav a medial meaning, they often also render Greek medio-passiv verbs. These verbs ar always intransitiv and never hav a purely passiv meaning. Hense, for exampl, andbindada means it is loost (by sum one), but andbundniþ, it becums loose, it loosens. Nearly all of these verbs ar derived from adjectivs or from the stem of the pp. passiv. Exampls: (a) from strong verbs: and-bundnan (bindan), to loosen (intr.); us-bruknan (brikan), to break off (intr.); dis-kritnan, to rend (intr.); fra-lusnan (fra-liusan), to perish; ga-waknan (wakan), to awaken; ga-skaidnan (skaidan), to becum parted, to depart; —(b) from adjectivs: gahailnan (hails), to becum hole; mikilnan (mikils), to becum great; weihnan (weihs), to becum holy; gadauþnan, to becum ded, to die.
Note 1. To substantivs belong gafrisahtnan (frisahts, image), to be formd; ga-gawaírþnan (ga-waírþi), to reconcile one's self to; the stem-vowel is irregular in: us-geisnan, to becum amazed; in-feinan, to be moved with compassion.
Note 2. That the fundamental meaning of these verbs is inchoativ has been shown by Egge, 'Inchoativ or n-verbs in Gothic' (American Journal of Phil., 7, p. 38 et seq.). The corresponding Norse verbs in -na ar inchoativ only.
§ [195]. The inflection of these verbs is in the present identical with that of the strong verbs. No medio-passiv nor a pp. can be formd. Paradim: fullnan (fulls, ful; fulljan, to fil), to becum ful, fil (intr.).
| (a) Present. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indic. | Opt. | Imper. | ||
| Sing. | 1. | fullna | fullnau | — |
| 2. | fullnis | fullnais | fulln | |
| 3. | fullniþ | fullnai | fullnadau | |
| Dual | 1. | fullnôs | fullnaiwa | — |
| 2. | fullnats | fullnaits | fullnats | |
| Plur. | 1. | fullnam | fullnaima | fullnam |
| 2. | fullniþ | fullnaiþ | fullniþ | |
| 3. | fullnand | fullnaina | fullnandau | |
| Infinitiv: | fullnan | |||
| Participl: | fullnands | |||
| (b) Preterit. | ||||
| fullnôda, -dês, -da (s. [§ 184]). | ||||
Note 1. Of the imper. of verbs of this class only the 2nd pers. sg. is extant.
Note 2. The prt. keinôda, germinated, aroze thru the influence of the strong present keinan ([§ 172], n. 2) which could not belong here merely because of its meaning.
III. IRREGULAR VERBS.
1. PRETERIT-PRESENTS.
§ [196]. Preterit-Presents ar strong verbs whose preterit has assumed a present meaning. In consequence thereof the real presents hav been lost. These verbs form the preterit like weak verbs by adding -da (-ta, -þa, -sa; cp. [§§ 75]. [81]). Their inflection is the same as that of nasida ([§ 184]). According to the form of their presents, the preterit-presents may be distributed among the different classes of the strong verbs. The prs. inflects like a strong preterit. In the following the 13 Gothic verbs of this kind ar clast according to the corresponding ablaut-series:
§ [197]. First Ablaut-Series.
1. Prs. wait, I know, 2nd pers. waist, pl. witum, opt. witjau; prt. wissa, prt. opt. wissêdjau, prs. ptc. witands, inf. [witan].
2. lais, I know (the only form extant; causativ laisjan, to teach).
Note. The complete strong verb of wait is *weitan, wait, witum, witans, retaind in fraweitan, to avenge, and in inweitan, to wurship ([§ 172], n. 1).—To wait belongs also a weak verb of the III. weak conj., witan, witaida, to look at, observ.
§ [198]. Second Ablaut-Series.
3. daug (impers., the only form extant), it is of use, it profits.
§ [199]. Third Ablaut-Series.
4. kann, I know, 2nd pers. kant (also kannt; cp. [§ 80]), pl. kunnum; prt. indic. kunþa, prt. opt. kunþêdjau, pp. kunþs, known; inf. kunnan; prsp. kunnands.
5. þarf, I need, be in want of, 2nd pers. þarft, pl. þaúrbum, opt. þaúrbjau; prt. þaúrfta, pp. þaúrfts, necessary, prsp. þaúrbands, needing, inf. [þaúrban].—Cp. [§ 56], n. 3.
6. ga-dars, I dare, pl. ga-daúrsum, opt. gadaúrsjau; prt. gadaúrsta; inf. gadaúrsan.
Note. Like kann inflect its cpds.: frakann, I despise; gakann, I subject myself.—With this must not be confounded the derivativ weak verb -kunnan of the III. weak conjug., -kunnan, -kunnaida, to recognize, in the cpds.: anakunnan (ἀναγιγνώσκειν), to read; atkunnan, to grant, award; gakunnan, to know, consider, read (Mk. XII, 26).—uf-kunnan, to recognize, know, belongs in the prs. and pp. (ufkunnaiþs) to the III. weak conjug., but its prt. is ufkunþa, onse (I. Cor. I, 21) ufkunnaida.
§ [200]. Fourth Ablaut-Series.
7. skal, I shal, 2nd pers. skalt, pl. skulum, opt. skuljau; prt. skulda, opt. skuldêdjau, pp. skulds, owing; inf. [skulan], prsp. skulands.
8. man, I think, suppose, 2nd pers. [mant], pl. munum, opt. munjau; prt. munda, pp. munds (Lu. III, 23); inf. munan, prsp. munands.
Note. Like man goes gaman, I remember.—To this belongs also munan, prt. munaida, a derivativ wv. of the III. conjug.
§ [201]. Fifth Ablaut-Series.
9. mag, I may, can, 2nd pers. magt, 3d mag; dual magu, maguts, pl. magum, maguþ, magun, opt. magjau; prt. mahta, opt. mahtêdjau, pp. mahts; inf. [magan], prsp. magands.
10. ga-nah, it suffices; binah, it is permitted, it is lawful. These impersonal forms and the pp. binaúhts ar the only forms extant. There may be inferd the pl. -naúhum; prt. -naúhta; inf. -naúhan.
§ [202]. Sixth Ablaut-Series.
11. ga-môt, I hav or find room or place, 2nd pers. [môst], pl. [môtum], opt. gamôtjau, prt. gamôsta; inf. [gamôtan].
12. ôg, I fear, 2nd pers. [ôht], pl. [ôgum], opt. ôgjau; prt. ôhta; inf. [ôgan]. Causativ ôgjan, to frighten.
Note 1. To ôg belongs an anomalous 2nd pers. sg. imper.: ôgs, fear thou! The opt. ôgeiþ does duty for the corresponding 2nd pers. pl.
Note 2. The only extant form of the primary strong verb is the negativ prsp. unagands, fearless.
§ [203]. The verb áih, I hav, belongs to none of the ablaut-series. Disregarding the want of reduplication, we may, according to its formation, refer it to a reduplicated prt. like haíhait ([§ 179], 3). The extant forms ar: 1st and 3d pers. sg. áih (onse aig), pl. 1st aigum and áihum, 2nd áihuþ (onse), 3d aigun, opt. sg. 3d aigi, pl. 2nd aigeiþ, 3d aigeina; prt. áihta; prsp. aigands (5 times) and áihands (onse), inf. áihan (only onse, in faíráihan, to partake).
Note. In most forms there is a peculiar fluctuation between g and h in such a manner that the h is predominant in the sg. (áih), the g in the other forms. Cp. [§ 66], n. 1; [§ 79], n. 2.
2. THE VERBS 'be' AND 'wil'.
§ [204]. The old root es-, which is preservd in all Indo-Germanic languages, occurs in the Gothic substantiv verb only in the present indic. and opt. The remaining forms ar supplied by the strong verb wisan ([§ 176], n. 1). The pp. is wanting (cp. Anz. fda., 14, 286).
| Present. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indic. | Opt. | ||
| Sing. | 1. | im | sijau |
| 2. | is | sijais | |
| 3. | ist | sijai | |
| Dual | 1. | siju | [sijaiwa] |
| 2. | [sijuts] | [sijaits] | |
| Plur. | 1. | sijum | sijaima |
| 2. | sijuþ | sijaiþ | |
| 3. | sind | sijaina | |
| Inf.: | wisan | ||
| Prsp.: | wisands | ||
| Preterit. | |||
| Indic.: | was, wast, was, etc. | ||
| Opt.: | wêsjau | ||
Note 1. For ij (in the opt. and du. pl. indic. prs.) also simpl i ([§ 10], n. 4) is occasionally found; e. g., pl. indic. 1st pers. sium, 2nd siuþ, opt. siau, etc. But the ful forms occur far more frequently. The comparativly small number of the forms with i is confined to the epistls (especially in Cod. B) and to the gospel of Lu. which also in other respects shows many irregular forms (V, 10. VIII, 25. IX, 12. 41. XIV, 31). Of two extant codices (II. Cor. VII, 13. Phil. IV, 5. Col. IV, 6. I. Tim. V, 22) one (in three cases A) always has the correct form with j.
Note 2. Insted of the imper. the opt. forms, sg. sijais, sijai, pl. sijaiþ, ar employd. The form sai (= Gr. ἔστω), which occurs onse in the manuscript, either stands erroneously for sijai, siai, or must, according to Osthoff (Beitr., 8, 311), be regarded as interj. sai, 'ecce'!
Note 3. nist = ni ist, is not ([§ 10], n. 2), þatist = þata ist, that is, karist = kara ist, there is care, it concerns; Jo. X, 12 ([§ 4], n. 1).
§ [205]. The verb 'wil' has in the present only an opt. which discharges, however, the function of the indicativ. This present optativ has the uzual terminations of the prt. opt. Its preterit is weak. The extant forms ar:—
| Present: | Sg. 1. | wiljau | 2. | wileis | 3. | wili |
| Du. | 2. | wileits | ||||
| Pl. | 1. | wileima | 2. | wileiþ | 3. | wileina |
| Infinitiv: | wiljan | |||||
| Prsp.: | wiljands | |||||
| Pret.: | wilda | Opt.: | wildêdjau | |||
| (Inflection like that of nasida, [§ 184].) | ||||||
3. IRREGULARITIES.
§ [206]. The distinction between the present stem and the preterit stem of the strong ablaut verbs consists only in the change of the vowel. The consonantal skeleton of the word remains the same. This was not always so, for in proethnic Germanic, as in other Indo-Germanic languages, there existed present formations with additional consonantal elements. Of these a few remnants stil survive in Gothic, which from a Gothic point of view must be regarded as irregularities.
(a) Present formations with j. The j of these formations which in the present inflect entirely like weak verbs of the I. conjug. (as, nasjan, sôkjan), is no formativ suffix and is dropt in the prt. and pp. The existing exampls ar:—bidjan ([§ 176], n. 5), hafjan, fraþjan, hlahjan, skapjan, skaþjan, wahsjan ([§ 177], n. 2), arjan ([§ 179], n. 5). Cp. also [§ 209].
(b) Present stems with a final nasal: keinan ([§ 172], n. 2) and fraíhnan ([§ 176], n. 4); —a medial nasal is seen in standan ([§ 177], n. 3).
§ [207]. The verb gaggan belongs, according to its present and pp. and according to the testimony of the other Germanic languages, to the reduplicated verbs ([§ 179], n. 3). Its prt. is uzually represented by the defectiv iddja which is conjugated like a weak prt.: iddja, I went, iddjês, iddja, etc.; opt. iddjêdjau. Onse, however (Lu. XIX, 12), a weak prt. gaggida occurs.
§ [208]. briggan, to bring, is, according to its prs., an ablaut verb (III), but the prt. (with ablaut) is formd weak: brâhta (from *branhta, [§ 5], b), pp. [brâhts].
§ [209]. Sum verbs whose present follows the first weak conjug. (in part perhaps belonging to [§ 206], a), form the prt. weak, but without the formativ suffix i: bugjan, to buy, baúhta; brûkjan, to uze, brûhta; waúrkjan, to work, waúrhta; þagkjan, to think, þâhta ([§ 5], b); þugkjan, to seem, þûhta ([§ 15], b). The extant pps. ar:—baúhts < bugjan, waúrhts < waúrkjan, the remaining ones would be brûhts, þâhts, þûhts ([§ 75]); þâhts occurs in anda-þâhts, cautious, vigilant; þûhts in háuh-þûhts, mikil-þûhts, haughty.
Note. Cp. also kaupatjan ([§ 187], n. 1), which has, however, the formativ i in the pp.