[IV.] Verbs.
Infinitive Mood.—The -en of the infinitive is frequently dropped, without even a final -e to mark its omission. Infinitives in -y, as louy (love), schony (shun), spotty (spot, defile), styry (stir), wony (dwell), occasionally occur, and probably owe their appearance to the author’s acquaintance with Southern literature.[62]
Indicative Mood.—The final e often disappears in the first and third persons of the preterite tense, as I loved, he loved, instead of I lovede, he lovede.
The -en in the plural of the present and preterite tenses is frequently dropped. The pl. present in -eȝ occasionally occurs.
Imperative Mood.—The imperative plural ends in -es (eȝ), and not in -eth as in the Southern and ordinary Midland dialects.
Participles.—The active or imperfect participle ends in -ande[63] and never in -ing.
The participle passive or perfect of regular verbs terminates in -ed; of irregular verbs in -en. Occasionally we find the n disappearing, as bigonn-e, fund-e, runn-e, wonn-e, where perhaps it is represented by the final -e.
The prefix -i or -y (A.S. -ge) occurs twice only in the poems, in i-chose (chosen), and i-brad (extended); but, while common enough in the Southern and Midland dialects, it seems to be wholly unknown to the Northumbrian speech.
The verb in the West-Midland dialect is conjugated according to the following model:—