Note.—Only the simple or primitive verbs, not the compound forms, are here taken into consideration. The proportionate loss, therefore, is really much greater. O.E. abounded in formative prefixes. “Thus from the Anglo-Saxon flōwan, to flow, ten new compounds were formed by the addition of various prefixes, of which ten, only one, oferflōwan, to overflow, survives with us. In a similar manner, from the verb sittan, to sit, thirteen new verbs were formed, of which not a single one is to be found to-day.” Lounsbury, ib. Part I, p. 107.
[102.]
Class I: The “Drive” Conjugation.
Vowel Succession: ī, ā, i, i.
| Infinitive. | Preterit Sing. | Preterit Plur. | Past Part. |
| Drīf-an | drāf | drif-on | gedrif-en, to drive. |
| Indicative. | Subjunctive. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present. | Present. | ||||||
| Sing. 1. | Ic drīf-e | Sing. 1. | Ic |  | drīf-e | ||
| 2. | ðū drīf-st (drīf-est) | 2. | ðū | ||||
| 3. | hē drīf-ð (drīf-eð) | 3. | hē | ||||
| Plur. 1. | wē | | (drīf-að) | Plur. 1. | wē | | drīf-en |
| 2. | gē | 2. | gē | ||||
| 3. | hīe | 3. | hīe | ||||
| Preterit. | Preterit. | ||||||
| Sing. 1. | Ic drāf | Sing. 1. | Ic | | drif-e | ||
| 2. | ðū drif-e | 2. | ðū | ||||
| 3. | hē drāf | 3. | hē | ||||
| Plur. 1. | wē | | drif-on | Plur. 1. | wē | | drif-en |
| 2. | gē | 2. | gē | ||||
| 3. | hīe | 3. | hīe | ||||
| Imperative. | Infinitive. | Present Participle. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. 2. | drīf | drīf-an | drīf-ende |
| Plur. 1. | drīf-an | ||
| 2. | drīf-að | Gerund. | Past Participle. |
| tō drīf-anne (-enne) | gedrif-en | ||
Tense Formation of Strong Verbs.
[103.]
(1) It will be seen from the conjugation of drīfan that the present stem in all strong verbs is used throughout the present indicative, the present subjunctive, the imperative, the infinitive, the gerund, and the present participle. More than half of the endings, therefore, of the Strong Conjugation are added directly to the present stem.