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Sound Changes& Strong Verbs

M&R §§90–109

ENG240Y Old English / Fri 1 Oct 2010

http://oe.langeslag.org/

Strong versus weak

weak1 fremman strong1 wrītanic fremme ic wrīteþū fremest þū wrītesthē fremeþ hē wrīteþ

wē fremmaþ wē wrītaþic fremede ic wrāt

þū fremedest þū writehē fremede hē wrāt

wē fremedon wē writonfremed writen

Strong verb classesclass inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.

I scīnan scān scinon scinenIIa crēopan crēap crupon cropenIIb brūcan brēac brucon brocenIII bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIV beran bær bǣron borenV tredan træd trǣdon tredenVI faran fōr fōron faren

VIIa healdan hēold hēoldon healdenVIIb hātan hēt hēton hāten


I ī+C scān scinon scinenIIa ēo+C crēap crupon cropenIIb ū+C brēac brucon brocenIII e+CC brægd brugdon brogdenIV e+C bær bǣron borenV e+C træd trǣdon tredenVI a+C fōr fōron faren

VIIa V(C)C hēold hēoldon healdenVIIb V(C)C hēt hēton hāten

NB: a few verbs in most classes have lost their stem consonant through contraction, and a few verbs in 5, 6, 7

have weak presents and therefore different infinitives.


I scīnan scān scinon scinenIIa crēopan crēap crupon cropenIIb brūcan brēac brucon brocenIII bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIV beran bær bǣron borenV tredan træd trǣdon tredenVI faran fōr fōron faren


Strong verb classesclass inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.IIIa bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIIIb weorpan wearp wurpon worpen

feohtan feaht fuhton fohtenIIIc helpan healp hulpon holpenIIId gieldan geald guldon goldenIIIe drincan dranc druncon druncenVIIa healdan hēold hēoldon healdenVIIb hātan hēt hēton hāten

Class VII past ptc. vowel always the same as inf. vowel, namely: a, ā, ō, ea, ēa (weak presents: ā, ǣ). It never matches other classes’ infinitive vowels.

Class III sound changes● breaking: diphthongization of a front vowel when a back consonant follows

- full breaking before h, lh, h+C, r+C: > ĕa, ĕ > ĕo- limited breaking before l: > ĕa- additional breaking before h, h+C: ī (> īo) > ēoclass inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.IIIa bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIIIb weorpan wearp wurpon worpen

feohtan feaht fuhton fohtenIIIc helpan healp hulpon holpen

Class III sound changes● palatal diphthongization: initial ġ, sc, ċ cause > e, > a

class inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.IIIa bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIIId gieldan geald guldon golden

gielpan gealp gulpon golpen

Class III sound changes● nasal raising and resistance to fronting: before m+C or n+C: ĕ > ĭ, > ă, ŏ > ŭ

class inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.IIIa bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIIIe drincan dranc druncon druncen

swimman swamm swummon swummen

Class III sound changesclass inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.IIIa bregdan brægd brugdon brogdenIIIb weorpan wearp wurpon worpen

feohtan feaht fuhton fohtenIIIc helpan healp hulpon holpenIIId gieldan geald guldon goldenIIIe drincan dranc druncon druncen


I scīnan scān scinon scinenIIa crēopan crēap crupon cropenIIb brūcan brēac brucon brocenIII bregdan brægd brugdon brogden

IIIbr. weorpan wearp wurpon worpenIIIdiph. gieldan geald guldon goldenIIInasal drincan dranc druncon druncen

IV beran bær bǣron borenV tredan træd trǣdon tredenVI faran fōr fōron faren


Grammatical alternation● þ/ð versus d● h versus g● s versus r

class inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.I snīðan snāð snidon snidenII cēosan cēas curon corenVI hliehhan hlōh hlōgon *hlagen

Grimm’s Law

aspirated voiced stops voiced stops voiceless stops voiceless fricativesbh b p fdh d t

gh g k x

piscis fiscfrater brōðorpater fæder

edere etanager æcer

Verner’s Law

aspirated voiced stops voiced stops voiceless stops voiced stopsbh b p bdh d t dgh g k g

s rf

xs

if immediately preceded by IE word stress

frater brōðorpater fæder

Grammatical alternation● þ/ð versus d● h versus g● s versus r

class inf. 1st pret. 2nd pret. past ptc.I snīðan snāð snidon snidenII cēosan cēas curon corenVI hliehhan hlōh hlōgon *hlagen

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