Presents

Old English
Part 18

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 Strong Verbs Part 3
This lesson will focus on the second class of Strong
verb. Remember that once we learn the primary parts
of a Strong Verb, the other verbs in that class will
follow the pattern.
Strong verbs are categorized by 4 principal parts: The
Present/Infinitive, the Past singular, the Past plural and
the Past participle. These four are often reduced to the
root vowels that define that class.
Strong Verbs Class 3
For Strong Verbs Class 2, the vowels follow the pattern
of: i-a-u-u. Sometimes the root has ū as the first
vowel.
Here is the verb singan to sing, narrate conjugated:

Present

iċ singe I sing

þū singst, singest you sing

hit singþ, singeþ it sings

wē singaþ we sing

ġē singaþ you sing

hīe singaþ they sing

Past

iċ sang I sang

þū sunge you sang

hit sang it sang

wē sungon we sang

ġē sungon you sang

hīe sungon they sang

Past Participle

sungen sung

Similar Class 3 Strong verbs include:

bindan to bind strong 3

drincan to drink strong 3
findan to find strong 3
(ge)limpan to happen strong 3
onginnan to begin strong 3
irnan to run strong 3
sincan to sink strong 3
swimman to swim strong 3
swincan to work strong 3
þringan to press strong 3
winnan to fight, strive strong 3

Strong Verbs Class 3 Variants

For Strong Verbs Class 2, The vowels follow the pattern
of: e/ie/eo-ea-u-o. Sometimes the root has ū as the
first vowel. Some verbs have æ instead of ea in the
first and third person past singular.
Here is the verb helpan to help, assist conjugated:

Present

iċ helpe I help

þū hilpst, helpest you help

hit hilpþ, helpeþ it helps

wē helpaþ we help

ġē helpaþ you help

hīe helpaþ they help

Past

iċ healp I helped
þū hulpe you helped

hit healp it helped

wē hulpon we helped

ġē hulpon you helped

hīe hulpon they helped

Past Participle

holpen helped

Similar Class 3 Strong verb varients include:

belgan to be angry strong 3

delfan to dig strong 3
gieldan to yield, pay strong 3
giellan to yell strong 3
helpan to help strong 3
meltan to melt strong 3
melcan to milk strong 3
swelgan to swallow strong 3
swellan to swell strong 3
sweltan to die strong 3
beorgan to protect strong 3
feohtan to fight strong 3
ceorfan to carve strong 3
hweorfan to turn strong 3
steorfan to die strong 3
weorpan to throw strong 3
weorðan to become strong 3
bregdan to brandish strong 3
berstan to burst strong 3
frignan to inquire, ask strong 3
murnan to mourn strong 3
spurnan to tread down strong 3
stregdan to strew strong 3
ðerscan to thresh strong 3
This concludes Part 18. New parts are made available
on patreon.com/stevevagabond weekly, so check back
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This lesson was written by T. Patrick Snyder

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