The English Language Part 61
A.
_Present._ _Praeterite sing._ _Praeterite plur._
Scine (_shine_) Scean (_I shone_) Scinon (_we shone_).
Arise (_arise_) Aras (_I arose_) Arison (_we arose_).
Smite (_smite_) Smat (_I smote_) Smiton (_we smite_).
B.
_Present._ _Praet.--Sing. form._ _Praet.--Pl. form._
Rise Rose [51]Ris.
Abide Abode -- Shine Shone -- Smite Smote Smit.
Ride Rode [51]Rid.
Stride Strode Strid.
Slide [51]Slode Slid.
Glide [51]Glode -- Chide [51]Chode -- Drive Drove [51]Driv.
Thrive Throve [51]Thriv.
Strive Strove -- Write Wrote Writ.
Climb Clomb -- Slit [51]Slat Slit.
Bite [51]Bat Bit.
On this list we may make the following observations and statements.
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1. That, with the exception of the word _slit_, the _i_ is sounded as a diphthong.
2. That, with the exception of _bat_ and _slat_, it is changed into _o_ in the singular and into _[)i]_ in the plural forms.
3. That, with the exception of _shone_, the _o_ is always long (or independent).
4. That, even with the word _shone_, the _o_ was originally long. This is known from the final _-e_ mute, and from the Anglo-Saxon form _scean_; Moeso-Gothic, _skain_; Old Norse, _skein_.
5. That the _o_, in English, represents an _a_ in Anglo-Saxon.
6. That the statement last made shows that even _bat_ and _slat_ were once in the same condition with _arose_ and _smote_, the Anglo-Saxon forms being _aras_, _smat_, _bat_, _slat_.
_Twelfth Cla.s.s._
-- 375. In this cla.s.s _i_ is generally short; originally it was always so.
In the singular form it becomes _[)a]_, in the plural, _[)u]_.
_Present._ _Praet.--Sing. form._ _Praet.--Pl. form._ Swim Swam Swum.
Begin Began Begun.
Spin [52]Span Spun.
Win [52]Wan [53]Won.
Sing Sang Sung.
Swing [52]Sw.a.n.g Swung.
Spring Sprang Sprung.
Sting [52]Stang Stung.
Ring Rang Rung.
Wring [52]Wrang Wrung.
Fling Flang Flung.
Cling -- Clung.
[52]Hing Hang Hung.
String [52]Strang Strung.
Sling -- Slung.
Sink Sank Sunk.
Drink Drank Drunk.
Shrink Shrank Shrunk.
Stink [52]Stank Stunk.
Swink -- -- Slink -- Slunk.
Swell Swoll -- {314} Melt [54]Molt -- Help [54]Holp -- Delve [54]Dolv -- Dig -- Dug.
Stick [54]Stack Stuck.
Run Ran Run.
Burst -- Burst.
Bind Band Bound.
Find [54]Fand Found.
Grind -- Ground.
Wind -- Wound.
Upon this list we make the following observations and statements:--
1. That, with the exceptions of _bind_, _find_, _grind_, and _wind_, the vowels are short (or dependent) throughout.
2. That, with the exception of _run_ and _burst_, the vowel of the present tense is either the _i_ or e.
3. That _i_ short changes into _a_ for the singular, and into _u_ for the plural forms.
4. That _e_ changes into _o_ in the singular forms; these being the only ones preserved.
5. That the _i_ in _bind_, &c., changes into _ou_ in the plural forms; the only ones current.
6. That the vowel before _m_ or _n_ is, with the single exception of _run_, always _i_.
7. That the vowel before _l_ and _r_ is, with the single exception of _burst_, always e.
8. That, where the _i_ is sounded as in _bind_, the combination following is _-nd_.
9. That _ng_ being considered as a modification of _k_ (the Norse and Moeso-Gothic forms being _drecka_ and _drikjan_), it may be stated that _i_ short, in the twelfth cla.s.s, precedes either a liquid or a mute of series _k_.
From these observations, even on the English forms only, we find thus much regularity; and from these observations, even on the English forms only, we may lay down a rule like the following: _viz._ that _i_ or _u_, short, before the consonants _m_, _n_, {315} or _ck_, is changed into _a_ for the singular, and into _u_ for the plural forms; that _i_ long, or diphthongal, becomes _ou_; that _e_ before _l_ becomes _o_; and that _u_ before _r_ remains unchanged.
This statement, however, is nothing like so general as the one that, after a comparison of the older forms and the allied languages, we are enabled to make. Here we are taught,
1. That, in the words _bind_, &c., the _i_ was once p.r.o.nounced as in _till_, _fill_; in other words, that it was the simple short vowel, and not the diphthong _ey_; or at least that it was treated as such.
_Moeso-Gothic._ Binda Band Bundum Bundans.