Word-Order.
The Old English word-order resembles that of German in many respects, though it is not so strict, thus:—
The verb comes before its nominative when the sentence is headed by an adverb or adverbial group, or when the object or predicate is put at the head of the sentence:—þā cwæþ se cyning (then said the king); ǣrest wǣron būend þisses landes Brettas (at first the Britons were the inhabitants of this country); on his dagum cōmon ǣrest þrēo sċipu (in his days three ships first came); þæt bǣron olfendas (camels carried it); mǣre is se God þe Daniēl on be·līefþ (great is the God that Daniel believes in).
The infinite often comes at the end of the sentence; wē magon ēow rǣd ġe·lǣran (we can teach you a plan).
The finite verb often comes at the end in dependent sentences, an auxiliary verb often coming after an infinitive or participle; þæt wǣron þā ǣrestan sċipu Dęniscra manna þe Angel-cynnes land ġe·sōhton (those were the first ships of Danish men which came to the land of the English race); þæt mǣste wæl þe wē sęċġan hīerdon oþ þisne andweardan dæġ (the greatest slaughter that we have heard tell of up to this present day); þæt hīe þone Godes mann ā·bitan scolden (in order that they should devour the man of God).
There is a tendency to put the verb at the end in principal sentences also, or, at least, to bring it near the end: hiene man of·slōg (they killed him); hīe þǣr siġe nāmon (they got the victory there).
GENERAL TABLE OF ENDINGS.
| NOUNS. | ||||||
| STRONG. | WEAK. | |||||
| M. | N. | F. | M. | N. | F. | |
| Sg. N. | — | — | -(u) | -a | -e | -e |
| A. | — | — | -(e) | -an | -e | -an |
| D. | -e | -e | -e | -an | -an | -an |
| G. | -es | -es | -e | -an | -an | -an |
|
| ||||||
| Pl. N. | -as | -(u) | -a | -an | ||
| D. | -um | -um | -um | -um | ||
| G. | -a | -a | -(en)a | -ena | ||
| ADJECTIVES. | ||||||
| Sg. N. | — | — | -(u) | -a | -e | -e |
| A. | -ne | — | -(e) | -an | -e | -an |
| D. | -um | -um | -re | -an | -an | -an |
| G. | -es | -es | -re | -an | -an | -an |
| I. | -e | -e | (-re) | (-an | -an | -an) |
| Pl. N. | -e | -(u) | -e |
| ||
|
| -an | |||||
| D. | -um | -um | ||||
| G. | -ra | -ra | ||||
