| Icelandic. | |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| 1. Skall. | Skulum. |
| 2. Skalt. | Skuluð. |
| 3. Skal. | Skulu. |
[§ 353]. Thou spakest, thou brakest, thou sungest.[[45]]—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.
[§ 354]. 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.