TO BE.
Indicative Mood.
Has two forms of the present tense.
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ah is, or Ah’s. I am, &c. | Wă |  |  | Wa’re, we are. | |
| Thoo is, or Thoo’s. | Yă | are, or | Ya’re. | ||
| He, Sha, or it is. | Thă | Thă’re. | |||
Also the older form is quite common—
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | |
|---|---|---|
| Ah be. I am, &c. | Wă be | |
| Thoo beest or byst. | Yă | be. |
| He be. | Thă be | |
Examples:—
- ‘Ah be gahin’ ti morn.’
- ‘Thoo byst efter neea good.’
- ‘We be twelve brethren’ (Gen. xlii. 32).
- ‘If thou beest he’ (Paradise Lost, Bk. i. 84).
- ‘If thou beest death’ (Henry VI, Part II, Act iii. Sc. 3).
- ‘If thou beest rated by estimation’ (Merchant of Venice, Act ii. Sc. 7).
Imperfect.
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ah war, wur, or wuz. I was, &c. | Wa | | |
| Thoo war, wur, or wast | Ya | war, wur, or wuz | |
| He war, wur, or wuz. | Tha | ||