Weak verbs in germanic tend to be roughly defined as those verbs taking a "dental" ending, excluding the preterite-present verbs. There is a misconception that this group consists only of "regular" verbs, but that is another story.
The germanic weak verbs fall into four categories: Those ending in -jan (class I), -on (class II), -an (class III), and -nan (class IV). [what about -en?] In northeadish most of these classes have fallen together, and class 1 is differentiated from the other classes only in that it undergoes i-umlaut in the present tenses.
- Class I
Class I weak verbs, sometimes known as -jan verbs, are conjugated as follows:
|
|
|
pret. |
conj.
|
pres.
|
subj. |
imper. |
|
|
ec
|
racþa |
ræcþa |
ræca |
ræca |
|
|
(rakjan)
|
þū
|
racþast |
ræcþast |
ræcst |
ræcast |
ræc |
inf. |
ræcɴ
|
h/s
|
racþa |
ræcþa |
ræcaðþ |
ræca |
|
ppr. |
ræcɴþ
|
vīt
|
racþa |
ræcþma |
ræca |
ræcma |
ræca |
ppt. |
racþ
|
jȳt
|
racþatþ |
ræcþatþ |
ræcatþ |
ræcatþ |
ræcatþ |
|
|
vīr
|
racþм |
ræcþм |
ræcм |
ræcм |
ræcм |
|
|
jȳr
|
racþaðþ |
ræcþaðþ |
ræcaðþ |
ræcaðþ |
ræcaðþ |
|
|
sīr
|
racþɴþ |
ræcþɴþ |
ræcɴþ |
ræcɴþ |
|
Note that -jan verbs show i-mutation in the past subjunctive as well as the present and infinitive paradigms. Please note that class I verbs are indicated in the reform alphabet by ending in -en instead of -an.
- Class II
Class II, or -ōn verbs, are usually derived from a noun or adjective. Various phœnetic and morphosyntactic changes throughout the centuries have made them indistinguishable from Class III weak verbs.
|
|
|
pret. |
conj.
|
pres.
|
subj. |
imper. |
|
|
ec
|
bevða |
bevða |
beva |
beva |
|
|
(bibōn)
|
þū
|
bevðast |
bevðast |
bevast |
bevast |
bevf |
inf. |
bevɴ
|
h/s
|
bevða |
bevða |
bevaðþ |
beva |
|
ppr. |
bevɴþ
|
vīt
|
bevða |
bevðama |
beva |
bevma |
beva |
ppt. |
bevaðþ
|
jȳt
|
bevðatþ |
bevðatþ |
bevatþ |
bevatþ |
bevatþ |
|
|
vīr
|
bevðм |
bevðм |
bevм |
bevм |
bevм |
|
|
jȳr
|
bevðaðþ |
bevðaðþ |
bevaðþ |
bevaðþ |
bevaðþ |
|
|
sīr
|
bevðɴþ |
bevðɴþ |
bevɴþ |
bevɴþ |
|
- Class III
Class III weak verbs, or -an verbs, are the most common weak verbs, though many of them have been assimilated into strong verb classes.
|
|
|
pret. |
conj.
|
pres.
|
subj. |
imper. |
|
|
ec
|
trunða |
trunða |
truna |
truna |
|
|
(turnan)
|
þū
|
trunðast |
trunðast |
trunst |
trunast |
trun |
inf. |
trunɴ
|
h/s
|
trunða |
trunða |
trunðþ |
truna |
|
ppr. |
trunɴþ
|
vīt
|
trunða |
trunðma |
truna |
trunama |
truna |
ppt. |
trunþ
|
jȳt
|
trunðatþ |
trunðatþ |
truntþ |
trunatþ |
truntþ |
|
|
vīr
|
trunðм |
trunðм |
trunм |
trunм |
trunм |
|
|
jȳr
|
trunðaðþ |
trunðaðþ |
trunðþ |
trunaðþ |
trunðþ |
|
|
sīr
|
trunðɴþ |
trunðɴþ |
trunɴþ |
trunɴþ |
|
Class III verbs do not show any sign of i-mutation.
- Class IV
Class IV weak verbs, or -nōn/-njan verbs, are ostensibly the same as Class I or II verbs, but with -n added to the root. Many of this type of verbs are strong verbs.
|
|
|
pret. |
conj.
|
pres.
|
subj. |
imper. |
|
|
ec
|
tǣcɴða |
tǣcɴða |
tǣcna |
tǣcna |
|
|
(taiknjan)
|
þū
|
tǣcɴðast |
tǣcɴðast |
tǣcnast, tǣcɴst |
tǣcnast |
tǣcɴ |
inf. |
tǣcnɴ |
h/s
|
tǣcɴða |
tǣcɴða |
tǣcnaðþ, tǣcɴþ |
tǣcna |
|
ppr. |
tǣcnɴþ
|
vīt
|
tǣcɴða |
tǣcɴðma |
tǣcna |
tǣcnama |
tǣcna |
ppt. |
tǣcnðþ
|
jȳt
|
tǣcɴðatþ |
tǣcɴðatþ |
tǣcnatþ, tǣcɴtþ |
tǣcnatþ |
tǣcnatþ, tǣcɴtþ |
|
|
vīr
|
tǣcɴðм |
tǣcɴðм |
tǣcnм |
tǣcnм |
tǣcnм |
|
|
jȳr
|
tǣcɴðaðþ |
tǣcɴðaðþ |
tǣcnaðþ, tǣcɴþ |
tǣcnaðþ |
tǣcnaðþ, tǣcɴþ |
|
|
sīr
|
tǣcɴðɴþ |
tǣcɴðɴþ |
tǣcnɴþ |
tǣcnɴþ |
|
- Class V
Class V weak verbs, or -ǣn verbs, have become indistinguishable from Class I verbs.