[752.] possum is formed from pote, able, and sum, juxtaposed ([166, 2]; [396]). The separate forms potis sum, &c., or pote sum, &c., are also used, and sometimes even potis or pote alone takes the place of a verb; in either case potis and pote are indeclinable, and are applied to gender words and neuters both.
[753.] t is retained before a vowel, except in possem, &c., for potessem, &c., and in posse; t before s changes to s ([166, 2]). Old forms are: possiem, &c., ([748]), potessem, potisset, potesse. Rare forms are POTESTO (inscr. 58 B.C.), and passives, as potestur, &c., with a passive infinitive ([1484]). possum has no participles; the perfect system, potuī, &c., is like fuī, &c. ([745]).
[ (2.) dō, give, put (dā-, da-).]
[754.] There are two verbs dō, one meaning give, and one meaning put. The dō meaning put is oftenest used in compounds; the simple verb has been crowded out by pōnō. The present system of dō is as follows:
| Principal parts: dō,dare, dedī, datus. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
|---|---|---|
| INDICATIVE MOOD. | ||
| Singular. | Plural. | |
| Pres. | dō, dās, dat | damus, datis, dant |
| Imp. | dabam, dabās, dabat | dabāmus, dabātis, dabant |
| Fut. | dabō, dabis, dabit | dabimus, dabitis, dabunt |
| SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. | ||
| Pres. | dem, dēs, det | dēmus, dētis, dent |
| Imp. | darem, darēs, daret | darēmus, darētis, darent |
| IMPERATIVE MOOD. | ||
| dā or datō, datō | date or datōte, dantō | |
| INFINITIVE. | PARTICIPLE. | |
| Pres. | dare | dāns |
| GERUND. | ||
| Gen. | dandī, &c. | |
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| INDICATIVE MOOD. | ||
| Singular. | Plural. | |
| Pres. | ——, daris or -re,datur | damur, daminī, dantur |
| Imp. | dabar, dabāre or -ris,dabātur | dabāmur, dabāminī, dabantur |
| Fut. | dabor, dabere or -ris,dabitur | dabimur, dabiminī, dabuntur |
| SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. | ||
| Pres. | ——, dēre or -ris,dētur | ——, dēminī, dentur |
| Imp. | darer, darēre or -ris,darētur | darēmur, darēminī, darentur |
| IMPERATIVE MOOD. | ||
dare or dator, dator | daminī, dantor | |
| INFINITIVE. | GERUNDIVE. | |
| Pres. | darī | dandus |
[755.] In the present system a is short throughout in the first syllable, except in dās and dā. For dedī, datus, and supines datum, datū, see [859] and [900].
[756.] Old forms: danunt of uncertain origin ([833]) for dant. From another form of the root come duis, duit; interduō, concrēduō, perfect concrēduī; subjunctive duim, duīs (duās), duit and duint ([841]), and compounds, used especially in law language, and in praying and cursing; crēduam, crēduās or crēduīs, crēduat or crēduit.
[757.] Real compounds of dō have a present system like regō ([782]); in the perfect and the perfect participle, e and a become i: as, abdō, put away, abdere, abdidī, abditus; crēdō, put trust in. perdō, fordo, destroy, and vēndō, put for sale, have gerundives perdendus, vēndundus, and perfect participles perditus, vēnditus; the rest of the passive is supplied by forms of pereō and vēneō. reddō, give back, has future reddibō 3 times (Plaut.). In the apparent compounds with circum, pessum, satis, and vēnum, dō remains without change, as in [754].
[758.] bibō, drink, serō, sow (for *si-sō, [154]), and sistō, set, form their present stem by reduplication of the root ([189]). The vowel before the person endings is the root vowel, which becomes variable, like a formative vowel ([824]). These verbs have the present system like regō ([782]).