| Mœso-Gothic. | |||
| Singular. | Dual. | Plural. | |
| 1. | Skal | Skulu | Skulum. |
| 2. | Skalt | Skuluts | Skuluþ. |
| 3. | Skall | Skuluts | Skulun. |
| Icelandic. | ||
| Singular. | Plural. | |
| 1. | Skall | Skulum. |
| 2. | Skalt | Skuluð. |
| 3. | Skal | Skulu. |
[§ 287]. Thou spakest, thou brakest, thou sungest.[[53]]—
In these forms there is a slight though natural anomaly. They belong to the class of verbs which form their præterite by changing the vowel of the present; as sing, sang, &c. Now, all words of this sort in Anglo-Saxon formed their second singular præterite, not in -st, but in -e; as þú funde = thou foundest, þú sunge = thou sungest. The English termination is derived from the present. Observe that this applies only to the præterites formed by changing the vowel. Thou loved'st is Anglo-Saxon as well as English, viz., þú lufodest.
[§ 288]. In the northern dialects of the Anglo-Saxon the -ð of plurals like lufiað = we love becomes -s. In the Scottish this change was still more prevalent:
The Scottes come that to this day
Havys and Scotland haldyn ay.—Wintoun, 11, 9, 73.
James I. of England ends nearly all his plurals in -s.