The Transformation of Verbs from OE to ModE

Andreychuck, Margarita
Dhesi, Cristina
Moreno, Mario

English has undergone many changes from OE to PDE e.g. from a semantically oriented language in OE to a syntactically oriented one in eModE. This project is aimed at
showing the changes which occurred in VERBAL SYSTEM: in particular the change from Strong to Weak verbs. First of all, we will show two hypotheses about WHY this
happened. In addition, we will see some examples of those transformations. Furthermore, we will present the characteristic from each period of the English verbs.

Both hypotheses might have taken place

simultaneously language change usually occurs
due to several causes
Approximate Statistics for original strong verbs:
Approximately 367 verbs in OE
During ME the number decreases to less than 100
The change slowed down during the 15th century
likely because of the emergence of printing
Today Over 50% of the original strong verbs have vanished

Old English
Class I: Dwinan
Class II: Sucan / Leogan
Class III: Breidan / Helpan / Climban
Class IV: Scieran
Class V: Fretan / Licgan
Class VI: Acan / Scapan / Steppan / Wadan
Class VII: Bannan / Fealdan / Hatian / Wealcan
4 types of verbs: strong, weak, preterit present and irregular
Their main Characteristics:
Weak verbs show a dental suffix in their past participle and preterit
Strong verbs form their preterit by changing their stem (7 classes)
Preterit show both (dental suffix + change in the stem)
There are only 4 irregular verbs: don, gan, beon, willan
Strong verbs had 4 stems: 1 for present i; 2 for preterite ,depending on
person agreement , and 1 for past participle
solice nu ic eow bodie mycelne gefean. se bi eallum folce.
bon (S)(3p.sg.present) the future form is deduced by the contextbi there wasnt a determined form for future.
And is tacen eow by; Ge gemeta an cild hreglum bewunden.
Mtan (W) (3p.pl.past) find - gemeta The initial ge- reflected past
in OE, thats why we find it in some past participle forms
Gode sy wuldor () on eoran sybb mannum godes willan;
willan (W) inflected infinitive-gerund wish willan. It is relevant the
changed from a LEXICAL VERB to a FUNCTIONAL VERB
and geseon t word e geworden is. t drihten us tywde;
weoran (S) (past participle) become + ben (s.v.) (3p.sg.present)be geworden is (passive) (The relevant here is just to show the structure of
passive forms in OE to PDE. In OE it was become + ben, and now it is in
the other way round, to be + become)

Middle English
Class I: Dwinen

Class I: Dwindle (disappear gradually)

Class II: Suken / Lien

Class II: Suck / Lie

Class III: Breyden / Helpen / Climben

Class III: Braid / Help / Climb

Class IV: Scieren

Class IV: Share

Class V: Freten / Lien

Class V: Fret (become uneasy) / Lie

Class VI: Aken / Scapen / Steppen / Waden

Class VI: Ache / Shape / Step / Wade

Class VII: Bannen / Folden / Haten /Walken

Class VII: Ban / Fold / Hate / Walk

Main differences:
many Strong verbs become weak verbs
French loans were conjugated as weak verbs:
E.g: Defend; conquer; enter; consume; consist
Scandinavian loans remained with their conjugational system (strong)
ME conjugational system (Similar to OE)
Most suffix vowels are unstressed and written with e
Loss of final -n
Loss of final -e
Introduction of -ing (emerges in the South)
Grammaticalisation of lexical some verbs (Will)
Introduction of modals (shall, shul)

Strong vs weak regular vs irregular

7 classes: can be divided phonetically (by their pronunciation)
Conjugational system of irregular verbs in ModE
Very few remains of the previous systems and they serve both
regular and irregular verbs
-S for 3rd person singular
-ing for present participle
Subjunctive and conditionals are expressed through the use of
modals and auxiliaries.
The modern version:

() lo soli I euangelise to ou a gret ioe at shall be to alle pupleShall be: we can appreciate the introduction of some modal verbs as to give
an aspectual reference to a verb.
& is a tocne to ou, ee shul finden a ung childd wlappid wi clois, & ()
Shul finden: now it is used for future. Introduction of another modal verb to
express future. Later on, instead of having two words for the same purpose,
they lose shul and keep shall, as seen in a previous example.
soli ey seende knewen of e wrd, at was seid to em of is child
Was seid: the position of the verbs is inverted, but it follows the same
structure (ben + past participle)

()hig be am worde e him gesd ws be am cilde

gesecgan (W) (past participle) tell + ben (s.v.) (3p.sg.past) be - gesd
ws Here we find an OE passive construction, where first comes the
past participle of the verb tell and then the verb be.

& alle men at hadden herdd, wondreden, & of ese ingis at weren seid ()
hadden herdd: hadden is a past form that indicates a perfect tense. Thus, it
starts the introduction of an auxiliar + past participle verb.

And ealle a e gehyrdon wundredon be am e him a hyrdas sdon

hierdan (W)(past participle) hear gehyrdon

forsoe Marie kepte alle ese wrdis, berende togidere in hir herte
beren (process of full verbalization from OE noun to ME verb) (gerund)
berende

Maria geheold ealle as word on hyre heortan smeagende;

smagend (W noun) an examiner inquirer (dative). Interpreted as a
gerund, because noun forms were used as verbal forms in some cases
smeagende The endings -iende, -ande, -ende become a nominal form
into a verbal function gerund-

Present Day English

For future form, which nowadays is more frequently

used for requests, not for future predictions (for that, we
use will, from willan)
Was said: in ME we have already stated the PDE form for passives.
Has/Had heard: we now have a Past/Present Perfect
Pondering: PDE form derived from ME berende.
Shall be
Shall find

References:
- BAUGH, A. C. & CABLE, T. (2002), A History of the English
Language. 5th ed.,
London (Routledge)
- KRYGIER, M. (1994), The Disintegration of the English Strong
Verbs System.
Frankfurt am Main ( Lang)
- Rleber, S. (2006) Strong verbs in Old and Middle English and
irregular verbs in Modern English. A history of verb development
and a comparison of classifications. Eberhard-Karls-Universitt