Double consonants become single, as in hē fielþ from feallan.
Before the -st of the 2nd pers. consonants are often dropt, as in þū cwist from cweþan, þū ċīest from ċēosan; and d becomes t, as in þū bintst from bindan.
For the changes between s and r, þ and d, g and h, see p. [7].
Some verbs, such as sēon (see), drop the h and contract before most inflections beginning with a vowel:—ic sēo, wē sēoþ, tō sēonne; but hē sihþ.
There are seven conjugations of strong verbs, distinguished mainly by the different formation of their preterites. The following lists comprise all the strong verbs that occur in the texts given in this book, together with several others of the commoner ones.
I. 'Fall'-conjugation.
The pret. sing. and pl. has ēo or ē, and the past partic. retains the original vowel of the infinitive.
| (a) ēo-preterites. | ||||
| ea:— | ||||
| INFINITIVE. | THIRD PRES. | PRET. SING. | PRET. PL. | PTC. PRET. |
| feallan (fall) | fielþ | fēoll | fēollon | feallen |
| healdan (hold) | hielt | hēold | hēoldon | healden |
| wealdan (wield) | wielt | wēold | wēoldon | wealden |
| weaxan (grow) | wiext | wēox | wēoxon | weaxen |
| ā:— | ||||
| blāwan (blow) | blǣwþ | blēow | blēowon | blāwen |
| cnāwan (know) | cnǣwþ | cnēow | cnēowon | cnāwen |
| sāwan (sow) | sǣwþ | sēow | sēowon | sāwen |
| ē:— | ||||
| wēpan (weep) | wēpþ | wēop | wēopon | wōpen |
| Wēpan has really a weak present (p. [30]) with mutation (the original ō re-appearing in the past partic.), but it makes no difference in the inflection. | ||||
| ō:— | ||||
| flōwan (flow) | flēwþ | flēow | flēowon | flōwen |
| grōwan (grow) | grēwþ | grēow | grēowon | grōwen |
| rōwan (row) | rēwþ | rēow | rēowon | rōwen |
| ēa:— | ||||
| bēatan (beat) | bīett | bēot | bēoton | bēaten |
| hēawan (hew) | hīewþ | hēow | hēowon | hēawen |
| hlēapan (leap) | hlīepþ | hlēop | hlēopon | hlēapen |
| (b) ē-preterites. | ||||
| ā:— | ||||
| hātan (command) | hǣtt | hēt | hēton | hāten |
| ǣ:— | ||||
| lǣtan (let) | lǣtt | lēt | lēton | lǣten |
| ō:— | ||||
| fōn (seize) | fēhþ | fēng | fēngon | fangen |
| hōn (hang) | hēhþ | hēng | hēngon | hangen |