- •Contents
- •List of abbreviations
- •Preface
- •Introduction
- •Germanic languages
- •Classification of germanic languages
- •Ancient germanic tribes and their classification
- •Germanic alphabets
- •Some phonetic peculiarities of germanic languages
- •Consonants
- •The First Consonant Shift (Grimm’s Law)
- •Ііі. Act The ie aspirated voiced plosives bh, dh, gh changed in Gc to corresponding unaspirated plosives b, d, g, e.G.
- •Verner`s Law
- •Word – Stress
- •Stressed vowels
- •Germanic Fracture (Breaking)
- •Gradation or Ablaut
- •Unstressed Vowels
- •Grammatical peculiarities of germanic languages
- •The Noun
- •The Adjective
- •The Verb
- •Gothic Strong Verbs
- •Vocabulary
- •Old english
- •2.1. Periods in the History of English
- •2.2. Historical Background
- •2.2.1. The Roman Conquest of Britain
- •2.2.2. The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of Britain
- •2.3. Alphabet and Pronunciation
- •Old English Alphabet
- •2.4. Old English Dialects and Written Records
- •2.5. Some Phonetic Changes of the Old English Period
- •2.5.1. Vowels
- •2.5.2. Old English Breaking
- •2.5.3. Palatal Mutation (I-mutation)
- •Monophthongs
- •Diphthongs
- •2.5.4. Back or Velar Mutation (Velarization)
- •2.5.5. Diphthongization of Vowels after Palatal Consonants
- •2.5.6. Lengthening of Short Vowels
- •2.5.7. Unstressed Vowels
- •2.5.8. Consonants
- •2.5.9. Palatalization of Velar Consonants
- •2.5.10. Assimilation, Metathesis, Doubling of Consonants, Loss of Consonants
- •2.6. Old English Morphology
- •2.6.1. Old English Noun: General Characteristics
- •Vowel Stems
- •Consonant Stems
- •2.6.2. Vowel Stems Strong Declension
- •2.6.3. Consonant Stems: Weak Declension, Minor Declensions
- •2.6.4. Root-Stems
- •2.6.5. Pronouns
- •2.6.5.1. Personal Pronouns
- •2.6.5.2. Demonstrative Pronouns
- •Declension of the Demonstrative Pronoun þes
- •2.6.6. Adjectives
- •2.6.6.1. Strong Declension of Adjectives
- •2.6.6.2. Weak Declension of Adjectives
- •2.6.6.3. Degrees of Comparison
- •2.6.7. Adverbs
- •2.6.7.1. Formation of Adverbs
- •2.6.7.2. Comparison of Adverbs
- •2.6.8. The Verb: General Characteristics
- •Conjugation of verbs
- •2.6.8.1. Strong Verbs
- •2.6.8.2. Weak Verbs
- •Conjugation of Weak Verbs
- •2.6.8.3. Preterite-Present Verbs
- •Conjugation of Preterite - Present verbs
- •2.6.8.4. Anomalous verbs
- •Conjugation of the verb dōn
- •Indicative mood
- •2.6.8.5. Suppletive Verbs
- •Conjugation of the verb bēon
- •Indicative mood
- •Conjugation of the verb ʒān
- •Indicative mood
- •2.7. Old English Syntax
- •2.8. The Old English Vocabulary
- •2.8.1. Word-Building
- •Suffixation
- •Prefixation
- •Composition
- •2.8.2. Borrowings
- •Latin borrowings
- •Celtic Borrowings
- •Middle english
- •3.1. Historical Background
- •3.1.1. Scandinavian Invasions
- •3.1.2. The Norman Conquest
- •3.2. Middle English Dialects Rise of the London Dialect
- •3.3. Early Middle English Written Records
- •3.4. Word Stress
- •3.5. Vowels
- •3.5.1. Unstressed Vowels
- •3.5.2. Stressed vowels
- •3.5.2.1. Quantitative Vowel Changes
- •3.5.2.2. Qualitative Vowel Changes
- •Monophthongs
- •3.5.2.3. Monophthongization of Old English Diphthongs
- •3.5.2.4. Rise of New Diphthongs
- •3.6. Evolution of Consonants in Middle English
- •3.7. Spelling Changes in Middle English
- •3.7.1. Changes in the Designation of Vowels
- •3.7.2. Changes in the designation of Consonants
- •3.8. Changes in the Grammatical System
- •3.8.1. Preliminary Remarks
- •3.8.2. The Noun
- •3.8.2.1. Gender
- •3.8.2.2. Number
- •3.8.2.3. Decay of Noun Declensions
- •3.8.3. The Adjective
- •3.8.3.1. Declension of Adjectives in Late Middle English
- •3.8.3.2. Degrees of Comparison
- •3.8.4. Adverbs
- •3.8.4.1. Formation of Adverbs
- •3.8.4.2. Comparison of Adverbs
- •3.8.5. The Pronoun
- •3.8.5.1. Personal Pronouns
- •3.8.5.2. Possessive pronouns
- •3.8.5.3. Demonstrative Pronouns
- •3.8.5.4. Rise of the Articles
- •3.8.6. The Verb: General Characteristics
- •Conjugation of Verbs
- •Conjugation of Verbs Past Indicative
- •3.8.5.1. Changes in the Morphological Classes of Verbs in Middle English and Early New English
- •3.8.6.1. Strong Verbs
- •3.8.6.2. Weak Verbs
- •3.8.6.3. Preterite-present Verbs
- •3.8.6.4. Suppletive verbs
- •Conjugation of the verb bēon in Old English, Middle English and Early New English
- •Conjugation of the verb bēon in Old English, Middle English and Early New English
- •Conjugation of the verb ʒān in Old English, Middle English and Early New English
- •Conjugation of the verb ʒān in Old English, Middle English and Early New English
- •3.8.6.5. Rise of Analytical Forms
- •Future Forms
- •Perfect Forms
- •Passive Forms
- •Continuous Forms
- •3.8.7. Development of the Syntactic System
- •3.9. Middle English Vocabulary Changes
- •3.9.1. Native Derivational Affixes
- •3.9.2. French Derivational Affixes
- •3.9.3. Scandinavian Borrowings
- •3.9.4. French Borrowings
- •New english
- •4.1. The formation of the English National Language
- •4.2. Changes in Pronunciation
- •4.2.1. Development of Unstressed Vowels
- •4.2.1.1. Loss of unstressed –e [ə]
- •4.2.1.2. Loss of Vowels in Intermediate Syllables
- •4.2.2. Stressed Vowels
- •4.2.2.1. The Great Vowel Shift
- •4.2.2.2. Shortening of Long Vowels
- •4.2.2.3. Development of Short Vowels
- •4.2.2.4. The Development of the New Short [л]
- •4.2.2.5. Changes in Diphthongs
- •4.2.2.6. Vowel Changes under the Influence of Consonants
- •4.2.3. Consonants
- •4.2.3.1. Voicing of Voiceless Consonants
- •4.2.3.2. Loss of Consonants Development of [X]
- •Simplification of Consonant Clusters
- •4.2.3.3. Change of [d] to [ð] when Close to [r]
- •4.2.3.4. Development of Sibilants and Affricates in Early New English
- •4.3. Changes in Spelling
- •4.4. Local Dialects in New English
- •4.4.1. Scottish Dialect
- •4.4.2. Northern Dialects
- •4.4.3. Western, Central and Southern Dialects
- •4.5. Some Essential Grammatical Changes of the New English Period: Morphology
- •4.5.1. The Noun
- •4.5.1.1. Number
- •4.5.1.2. Cases
- •4.5.2. The Pronoun
- •4.5.2.1. Personal Pronouns
- •4.5.2.2. Possessive Pronouns
- •4.5.3. The Adjective
- •4.5.4. The Adverb
- •4.5.5. The Verb
- •4.5.5.1. Personal Endings
- •4.5.5.2. Changes in Strong Verbs
- •4.5.5.3. Changes in Weak Verbs
- •4.5.5.4. Rise of Invariable Verbs
- •4.5.5.5. Changes in Preterite-Present Verbs
- •4.5.5.6. Irregular Verbs
- •4.6. New English Syntax
- •4.7. New English Vocabulary Changes
- •4.7.1. Latin Loanwords
- •4.7.2. Latinization of French Loanwords
- •4.7.3. Greek loanwords
- •4.7.4. French Loanwords
- •4.7.5. Mixed vocabulary of New English
- •4.7.6. Italian and Spanish Loanwords
- •4.7.7. Russian Loanwords
- •4.8. The Expansion of English
- •4.9. The English Language in the usa
- •4.9.1. Some peculiarities of American Pronunciation
- •4.9.2. American Spelling
- •4.9.3. Some peculiarities of American Grammar
- •4.9.4. Vocabulary of American English
- •Conclusion
- •Bibliography
3.8.6.3. Preterite-present Verbs
Preterite-present verbs were rather well preserved in ME, except the verb ʒeneah (enough). Nevertheless, they underwent multiple phonetic, morphological and semantic changes in accordance with the general tendencies of the period.
The ME verbs dowen < OE duʒan (be worthy), thurven < OE þurfan (need), unnen < OE unnan (grant), munen < OE munan (remember) first lost their infinitives and then fell out of use in the 15-th c. By the end of the ME period the verb thurven was ousted by the verb needen < OE nīedan.
The ME verb witen (know) was in use up to the 17-th c. Later it was ousted by the verb «know», but it survived in the idiom to wit (namely). The form of the present singular wot < OE wāt is still present in the saying God wot (God knows).
The ME verb ōwen < OE āʒan (possess) developed into the verb to owe with the same meaning. At the same time in past tense forms aught (in the North) and ought (in the South) another shifting of meaning from «past» to «present» took place. Aught and ought acquired a new modal meaning in combination with to + infinitive.
The ME verb cunnen < OE cunnan very early lost its infinitive, and the form of the 1-st and 3-rd persons singular penetrated the plural in the North.
In ME the verb can and especially its past participle is still used in the original meaning «know», e.g. to ferne halwes couthe in sundry londes (Chaucer) (to old saints, known in various lands). However, the verb can, couth/coude is much more common as a modal verb, denoting physical and mental ability. Gradually it replaced ME verbs mōt (NE must) and may in these meanings. The insertion of «l» in spelling in ME could < coude may be due to the analogy with «should» and «would.
The adjectives couth [ku:θ], uncouth [′лn′ku:θ] (rude) came from Northern dialects.
ME may (< OE mæʒ) and its past meahte/mihte were the only forms preserved in ME. Compared with OE may has narrowed its meaning, for some of its functions (namely, indication of physical and mental ability) have passed to the verb can.
The verb mōtan already had no infinitive in OE. In ME, the present tense forms mōt, mōten were lost, while its past tense form mōste (NE must) acquired the meaning of obligation and became a present tense form.
In Late ME and Early NE shal (< OE sceal) and its past tense form sholde (< OE sceolde) (NE should) split into two separate modal verbs, each with its own meaning; simultaneously sholde acquired the present tense meaning. Shal also came to be used as an auxiliary verb to build future forms.Later the OE verb willan (which was outside the group of preterite-present verbs), mostly used as as a modal verb expressing volition, began to build future forms.
The ME verb durren < OE durran developed into the modal verb dare < dar, dare. In NE, it acquired the regular past tense form dared, which was used alongside the old form durst. Cf. I did not dare to say anything. I durst not say anything.
Changes of the Preterite–Present Verbs in Middle English and Early New English
Period |
Infinitive |
Present sg |
Present pl |
Past |
Past participle |
OE ME NE |
witan witen – |
wāt wǭt wot |
witon witen – |
wiste wiste – |
ʒewiten witen – |
OE ME NE |
āʒan – – |
āʒ ouh owe |
āʒon owen – |
āhte ughte ought |
āʒen owen own |
OE ME NE |
duʒan dowen – |
dēaʒ deh – |
duʒon dowen – |
dohte doughte – |
– – – |
OE ME NE |
cunnan cunnen – |
can(n) can can |
cunnon cunnen – |
cūþe coude could |
cūþ/cunne couth – |
OE ME NE |
unnan – – |
ann an – |
unnon unnen – |
ūþe oughte – |
ʒeunnen – – |
OE ME NE |
durran durren – |
dear dar dare |
durron durren – |
dorste durste durst/dared |
– – – |
OE ME NE |
Þurfan – – |
Þearf tharf – |
Þurfon thurven – |
Þorfte thurfte – |
– – – |
OE ME NE |
sculan – – |
sceal(l) shal shall |
sculon shulen – |
sceolde/scolde sholde/should should |
– – – |
OE ME NE |
munan – – |
mon/man man – |
munon munen – |
munde – – |
ʒemunen – – |
OE ME NE |
– – – |
mōt mōt mote |
mōton mōten – |
mōste mōste must |
– – – |
OE ME NE |
maʒan – – |
mæʒ may may |
maʒon mowen – |
meahte/mihte mighte might |
– – – |
OE ME NE |
– – – |
ʒeneah enough enough |
ʒ enuʒon – – |
ʒenohte – – |
– – – |