Old English Part Tw∞

OE Practice

Fif menn s•hton uncit. Hwæ∂er wæs †¶n br•∂or? Hwæt sægde h§?

W§ nºron on Engla londe. Ic wille †æt g§ s¶en h§r. Wilt ∂ª m§ helpan?

D•∂ †æt weorc. H¶e woldon h§r cuman. Gief hit m§.

Hwæs is ∂æt cild? ˇºr wæs hire b•c. Hw¶ singe∂ ∂es monn?

Æ∂elred is ∂¶n nama. W§ sungon monige songas. Wes ∂ª beald!

Hwºr wºre ∂ª? H¶e ne sindon englas. B§o∂ g§ stille.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in OE are s§, "that", and its forms, and †§s, "this", and its forms. The first is by far the more important since it serves also as the definite article. In demonstrative use these pronouns are stressed, hence the two forms †æt and †is come down to modern English virtually unchanged, although other case forms are lost. In definite article use, however, s§ and its forms were worn down phonetically to produce modern English "the".

Demonstrative Pronouns

Masc. Neut. Fem.

S.N. s§ ∂æt s§o

G. ∂æs ∂æs ∂ºre

D. ∂ºm, ∂∞m ∂ºm, ∂∞m ∂ºre

A. ∂one ∂æt ∂∞

I. ∂¥, ∂§, ∂on ∂¥, ∂§, ∂on

ALL GENDERS

P.N.A. ∂∞

G. ∂∞ra, ∂ºra

D.I. ∂ºm, ∂∞m

Demonstrative Pronouns

Masc. Neut. Fem.

S.N. ∂§s ∂is ∂§os

G. ∂is(s)es ∂is(s)es ∂isse, ∂eosse

D. ∂is(s)um ∂is(s)um ∂isse, ∂eosse

A. ∂isne ∂is ∂∞s

I. ∂¥s, ∂¶s ∂¥s, ∂¶s

ALL GENDERS

P.N.A. ∂∞s

G. ∂issa, ∂eossa

D.I. ∂is(s)um, ∂eos(s)um

Weak Adjectives

The WEAK declension is used primarily in four situations:

When the adjective is preceded by a demonstrative (sometimes a possessive) pronoun

In direct address

In poetry (where prose would normally use the strong forms)

In the comparative degree and often in the superlative.

Weak Adjectives

Masc. Neut. Fem.

S.N. g•da g•de g•de

G. ~an ~an ~an

D.I. ~an ~an ~an

A. ~an ~e ~an

ALL GENDERS

P.N.A. g•dan

G. ~ena, -ra

D.I. ~um

"good"

Comparatives

The majority of OE adjectives form the comparative with -ra (< *-ora) and the superlative with -ost.

Adj. Comp. Sup.

ceald cealdra cealdost "cold"

earm earmra earmost "poor"

heard heardra heardost "hard"

hlªd hlªdra hlªdost "loud"

Comparatives

A limited number of OE adjectives form the comparative with -ra (< *-ira) and the superlative with -est (<*-ist); in these cases the i causes umlaut.

Adj. Comp. Sup.eald ieldra ieldest "old"§a∂e ¶e∂ra ¶e∂est "easy"

geong giengra giengest "young"gr§at gr¶etra gr¶etest "great"h§ah h¶ehra h¶eh(e)st "high"long lengra lengest "long"

sceort sciertra sciertest "short"

Strong Adjectives

The strong (or indefinite) declensions are based upon the stem vowel system inherited from PIE.

Masc. Neut. Fem.S.N. g•d g•d g•dG. ~es ~es ~reD. ~um ~um ~reA. ~ne ~ ~eI. ~e ~e ~re

P.N.A. ~e ~ ~a, -eG. ~ra ~ra ~ra

D.I. ~um ~um ~um

wa-stems often exhibit a "w" preceded by a parasitic vowel - most

often a [!], i.e gear(o)wes "ready"

NounsLike other ancient Gmc. languages, OE had different nominal declensions based upon PIE stem.

M/N F M/N F

a-stems "stone" o-stems "gift" i-stems "sieve" i-stems "guilt"S.N.A. st∞n S.N. giefu, -o S.N.A. sife S.N. scyld

G. st∞nes A. giefe G. sifes A. scyld

D.I. st∞ne G.D.I. giefe D.I. sife G.D.I. scylde

P.N.A. st∞nas P.N.A. giefa, -e P.N.A. sifu P.N.A. scylde

G. st∞na G. giefa, -ena G. sifa G. scylda

D.I. st∞num D.I. giefum D.I. sifum D.I. scyldum

Nouns

M/F/N M F M F

n-stems "tongue" r-stems "brother" "mother" u-stems "son" "hand"S.N. tunge S.N.A. br•∂or m•dor S.N.A. sunu, -a hond

A. tungan G. br•∂or m•dor G. suna honda

G.D.I. tungan D.I. br§∂er m§der D.I. suna, -u honda

P.N.A. tungan P.N.A. br•∂or, -ru m•dru, -a P.N.A. suna, -u honda

G. tungena G. br•∂ora m•dra G. suna honda

D.I. tungum D.I. br•∂orum m•drum D.I. sunum hondum

Weak verbs

Fall into three classes:ja-class

•-class

ai-class

Weak verbs are derivative: formed from nouns, adjectives or other verbs.

d•m "judgement" + -jan > *d•mian > d§man "to judge"

cª∂ "known" + -jan > *cª∂ian > c¥∂an "to make known"

dranc (pret. of drinkan "to drink") + -jan > *drancian > drencan "to drench"

Weak Verb Conjugation

Class i Class ii Class iii

Present Present Present

SG 1 d§me SG 1 sm§age SG 1 secge

2 d§m(e)st 2 sm§ast 2 sægst

3 d§m(e)∂ 3 sm§a∂ 3 sæge∂, seg∂

PL 1-3 d§ma∂ PL 1-3 sm§g(e)a∂ PL 1-3 secga∂

SUBJ SG 1-3 d§me SUBJ SG 1-3 sm§age SUBJ SG 1-3 secge

SUBJ PL 1-3 d§men SUBJ PL 1-3 sm§agen SUBJ PL 1-3 secgen

Preterit Preterit Preterit

SG 1 d§mde SG 1 sm§ade SG 1 sægde, sºde

2 d§mdest 2 sm§adest 2 sæ(g)dest

3 d§mde 3 sm§ade 3 sæ(g)de

PL 1-3 d§mdon PL 1-3 sm§adon PL 1-3 sæ(g)don

d§man, t• d§manne - "to judge"

sm§ag(e)an, t• sm§ag(e)anne - "to consider"

secg(e)an, t• secg(e)anne - "to say"

Strong Verbs

Class IPGmc. ¶, ai, i, i

OE ¶, ∞, i, i

b¶dan, b∞d, bidon, biden "to bide"

Class IIPGmc.

eu, au, u, uOE

§o, §a, u, ocl§ofan, cl§af, clufon, clofen "to cleave"

Class IIIaPGmc.

e, a, u, uOE

i, a/o, u, ubindan, band (bond), bundon,

bunden"to bind"

Class IIIb(Breaking)

OEeo, ea, u, u

feohtan, feaht, fuhton, fohten "to fight"

Class IIIc(Pal. Inf.)

OEie, ea, u, o

gielpan, gealp, gulpon, golpen "to boast"

Class IIIdOE

e, æ, u, o∂erscan, ∂ærse, ∂urscon, ∂orscen "to thresh"

Strong Verbs

Class IVPGmc.

e, a, º, oOE

e (i), æ, º, oberan, bær, bºron, boren

niman, nam (nom), n∞mon, numen"to bear""to take"

Class VaPGmc.

e, a, º, eOE

e, æ, º, esprecan, spræc, sprºcon, sprecen "to speak"

Class Vb(Pal. Inf.)

OEie, ea, §a, ie

giefan, geaf, g§afon, giefen "to give"

Class Vc(Contr.)

OE§o, ea, º, e

s§on, seah, sºgon (sºwon), segen (sewen)

"to see"

Class Vd(-jan)

OEi, æ, º, e

licgan, læg, lºgon, legen "to lie"

Class VIPGmc.

a, •, •, aOE

a, •, •, afaran, f•r, f•ron, faren "to go, travel"

Class VIIa MixedOE

Pret. § h∞tan, h§t, h§ton, h∞ten "to call"

Class VIIbOE

Pret. §ob§atan, b§ot, b§oton, b§aten "to beat"