The weak verbs form the preterit by the addition of a suffix beginning with a dental consonant; e. g., nasja, I save, nasida, I saved. This suffixal element, -da, was formerly regarded as a form of the verb 'do' (Germanic dôn), wherefore the weak prt. was also calld 'compound preterit'.
The weak verbs (except a few) ar derivativ verbs. According to their formativ suffixes, which ar best preservd in the preterit forms, they ar divided into four classes: (1) Suffix i (in the present j): nasja, nasi-da. (2) Suffix ô: salbô, salbô-da. (3) Suffix ai (in the present in part obscured): haba, habai-da. (4) Suffix nô (in the present n): fullna, fullnô-da.
Note. The small number of verbs which can not be referd to the two chief classes must, according to this classification, be considerd 'irregular'.
I. STRONG VERBS
§ 169. The inflection of the strong verbs (by means of personal endings) is the same in all three classes (§ 168). Therefore we first giv the paradims of inflection and then discuss the formation of the tense-stems (which is different in each class). As paradims may serv a reduplicating verb, haitan, to be calld, and two ablaut verbs, niman, to take, and biudan, to offer.
§ 170.
Note 1. biudan is subject to the rules for the final soft spirants (§ 79): imper. sg. biuþ, prt. bauþ (cp. § 374). Likewise giban, gif, gaf (cp. § 56).
Note 2. The termination of the 2nd pers. sg. prt. (-t) causes the change stated in the rule for consonants before dentals (§ 81). Final b of stems becums f: gaft (inf. giban); exampls for pt ar wanting: skôpt or skôft? (inf. skapjan); —g remains unchanged in magt (§ 66, n. 1), other exampls ar wanting; neither ar there any exampls for kt (wôkt or wôht? cp. § 58, n. 2); – dentals becum s: warst < waírþan, qast < qiþan (§ 71, n. 3), gastôst < standan, baust < biudan (§ 75, n. 1), bigast < gitan, haíhaist < haitan (§ 69, n. 2). – The extant 2nd pers. prt. of saísô (inf. saian) is saísôst. On account of the scarcity of exampls it is uncertain whether all stems ending in a vowel had -st. – The 2nd pers. prt. of rinnan is rant (§ 80).
Note 3. Only one strong verb is found (twice) in the 3d pers. sg. imper.: atsteigadan, καταβάτω; Mt. XXVII, 42. Mk. XV, 32 (cp. § 186, n. 1). The 3d pers. pl. may be givn with certainty according to the weak verb (§ 192, n. 1).
Note 4. The dual forms of the verb occur very seldom. The 1st pers. du. opt. prt., nêmeiwa, etc., which is only givn according to the corresponding form of the prs. nimaiwa, is not found at all. Also the 2nd pers. du. opt. prt. is but an inferd form according to the anomalous wileits (§ 205).
Note 5. Concerning the irregular formation of the present of sum strong verbs with j, s. § 206, n.
§ 171. The ablaut verbs form their tense-stems by a regular change of the radical vowel, the so-calld ablaut. The several ablaut-series and the conditions of their appearance wil be found givn in §§ 30-35. To each of these series belong ablaut verbs, and therefore six ablaut classes must be distinguisht. Each ablaut verb contains four ablaut vowels which appear in the formation of the verb in the following manner: (1) The first vowel belongs to the present and to what is connected with the present (prsp., inf., also medio-passiv). (2) The second vowel is that of the sg. prt. indic. (3) The third vowel appears in the du. and pl. prt. indic. and thruout the prt. opt. (4) The fourth vowel belongs to the pp.
In order to determin the inflection of a strong verb, it is customary to giv the following four forms (principal parts): (1) 1st pers. sg. prs. indic., or the prs. inf.; (2) 1st pers. sg. prt. indic.; (3) 1st pers. pl. prt. indic.; (4) the pp.
In the following we arrange the ablaut verbs according to their classes.
§ 172. Class I. Verbs of the first ablaut series: ei—ái—i (aí) (cp. § 30); e. g., greipa, graip, gripum, gripans, to gripe, seiz; i before h (ƕ) becums aí by breaking (§ 20): leiƕa, láiƕ, laíƕum, laíƕans, to lend.
Note 1. Like these inflect: deigan, to knead; steigan, to mount; gateihan, to show; þeihan, to thrive; þreihan, to throng; weihan, to fight; —beitan, to bite; dis-kreitan, to tear to pieces; ga-smeitan, to smear; -weitan (inweitan, to wurship; fraweitan, to punish); beidan, to wait; leiþan, to go; sneiþan, to cut; —weipan, to crown; dreiban, to drive; bi-leiban, to remain; sweiban, to cease; —reisan, to rize; skeinan, to shine; hneiwan, to decline, bow; speiwan, to spit.
Note 2. The n of keinan (OHG. kînan), to germinate, occurs only in the prs. stem (cp. § 206, b); the pp. is kijans (only in uskijanata; Lu. VIII, 6). The prt. *kai, *kijum, has been replaced by a weak prt. of the IV. weak conjugation (keinôda, § 195, n. 2). Cp. Kluge, 'Germ. Conjug.', 143.
Note 3. The verb neiwan, to hav a quarrel against, occurs only in a sumwhat doutful exampl: naiw; Mk. VI, 19. Cp. Bernhardt, 'Vulfila', p. 282, and Zs. fdph., 7, 112. 484.
§ 173. Class II. Verbs of the second ablaut series: iu—au—u (aú) —u (aú) (cp. § 31); e. g., biuda, bauþ, budum, budans, to offer; with breaking (