The third personal pronoun is occasionally used reflexively; as him = himself. Self is used adjectively in the sense of own, very, and the form selven (from the A.Sax. sylfa) is joined to the personal pronouns; as ðeselven, himselven, etc.
The independent possessives are min, ðin, his (hise), hire (hers), ure (ours), gure (yours), here (theirs).[[62]]
IV. Verbs.
Infinitive Mood.—The infinitive terminates in -en, which is seldom dropped.
There are no infinitives in -y or -ie, as in Southern English writers, nor do we find them in the Ormulum, or in Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng Synne," and they were, most probably, wholly unknown to the East Midland district.
The t in the 2nd pers. sing. pres. is occasionally dropped, as beas (= best), art, betes, beatest, findes, findest, etc.; but not in the preterite of regular verbs.
There are no instances of the 3rd pers. sing. present in -es in this poem.
The final e of the first and third persons (sing.) of the preterite tense is often dropped before a vowel or an h,[[63]] and, in a few cases, through the carelessness of the scribe,[[64]] it is unwritten before a consonant, where we should expect to, and do, find it in the majority of instances.
Some few strong verbs have become weak, as grapte (grasped, felt), gette (poured), smette (smote).
Imperative Mood.—Verbs forming the past tense in de or te take no inflexion in the 2nd pers. sing. imperative.