174. (1) In the first and fourth conjugations we find in Latin the following endings:—
| -āvī -āī | -āvĭmus | -īvī -īī | -īvĭmus |
| -āvĭstī -āstī | -āvĭstis -āstis | -īvĭstī -īstī | -īvĭstis -īstis |
| -āvit -aut | -āvēre -āvē̆runt -ārunt | -īvit -īit -īt | -īvēre -īvē̆runt -īrunt |
The popular speech preferred in every case the shortened form, and generally reduced -āvĭmus, -īvĭmus to -āmus, -īmus (in southern Gaul -āmu’, -īmu’: § [167]), on the analogy of the 2d pers. sg. and pl.
(2) In the second conjugation a few verbs (delēre, flēre, nēre, -olēre, -plēre, viēre) had similar endings (delēvī, etc.), which were doubtless contracted in like fashion in so far as these words were in common use. Most verbs of this conjugation, however, had strong preterits (tacēre, tacuī; vidēre, vīdī; etc.).
(3) The third conjugation had in classic Latin no weak endings corresponding to those of the first, second, and fourth; but the vulgar speech developed a set in the following manner. Compounds of dare formed their perfect in -dĭdī (perdĭdī); this -dĭdī, in accordance with the principle set forth in § [16], 3, came to be pronounced -dę́dị (condédi); and -dędị, probably through dissimilation[124], was shortened to -dęi (✱credéi). With this form as a starting-point, a weak preterit was created on the analogy of those of the other conjugations, the endings being something like -ęi, -ęstị, -ęt, -ęmus -ęmu’, -ęstis, -ęrunt. This inflection was probably extended to some verbs outside the -dĕre class (✱battéi, etc.?).
175. (1) In Provençal the weak inflection disappeared from the second conjugation, delēre and -plēre passing into the fourth, and the other weak verbs going out of use.
(2) Verbs of the fourth conjugation (except venir) all took the weak endings -í, -íst, -í, -ím, -ítz, -íron: partí, partíst, partí, partím, partítz, partíron. Irregular verbs either disappeared or became regular (sensī = sentí), with the exception of venīre ＞ venir (vinc).[125]
(3) The new weak endings of the third conjugation developed into -ęi, -ęst, -ęt, -ém, -ętz, -ęron: vendęi, vendęst, vendęt, vendém, vendętz, vendęron. In the 1st pers. sg. the ę often broke (vendięi), and the diphthong was sometimes carried into the 2d pers. sg. (vendięst). These endings were considerably extended in Provençal (cazęt, etc.), and were occasionally attached to a strong preterit stem (nasquęt, tesquęt, venquęt, visquęt). Most verbs, however, kept their strong preterit (mis, conọc). The -īvī perfect disappeared from the third conjugation: quæsīvit ＞ ✱quæsit ＞ quẹs.
(4) The first conjugation discarded its own weak endings, and substituted those of the third: cantęi cantięi, cantęst cantięst, cantęt, cantém, cantętz, cantęron. This strange phenomenon seems to have originated as follows: dare, dĕdī ＞ dar, dęi; from dar the ending -ęi was readily extended to estar (estęi); and from these two very common verbs it spread to the whole first conjugation.
Irregular verbs (except dare, stare) either disappeared or became regular.