Home | Syllabus | Language | Literature | Resources | Listserv


P A R A D I G M S
Personal Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns
Interrogative Pronouns
Strong Nouns
Weak Nouns
Adjectives
Strong Verbs
Weak Verbs
Anomalous Verbs


Personal Pronouns

First Person Pronoun ic, 'I, we'
SingularPlural
Nominative ic we
Accusative me us
Genitive min ure
Dative me us

Second Person Pronoun þu, 'thou, you'
SingularPlural
Nom. þu ge
Acc. þe eow
Gen. þin eower
Dat. þe eow

Third Person Pronoun he, heo, hit; hi, 'he, she, it; they'
Masc.Fem.NeuterPlural
Nom. he heo hit hi
Acc. hine hi hit hi
Gen. his hire his hira
Dat. him hire him him

Return to TOC

_______________

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative se, seo, þæt; þa, 'the, that; those'
Masc.Fem.NeuterPlural
Nom. se seo þæt þa
Acc. þone þa þæt þa
Gen. þæs þære þæs þara
Dat. þæm þære þæm þam
Inst. þy/þon þy/þon


Demonstrative þes, þeos, þis; þas, 'this; these'
Masc.Fem.NeuterPlural
Nom. þes þeos þis þas
Acc. þisne þas þis þas
Gen. þisses þisse þisses þissa
Dat. þissum þisse þissum þissum
Inst. þys þys

Return to TOC

_______________

Interrogative Pronoun

Interrogative hwa, hwæt, 'who, what'
Masc. and Fem.Neuter
Nom. hwa hwæt
Acc. hwone hwæt
Gen. hwæs hwæs
Dat. hwæm hwæm
Inst. hwy hwy/hwon

Return to TOC


Nouns

Strong Masculine Noun stan, 'stone'
SingularPlural
Nom. (se) stan (þa) stanas
Acc. (þone) stan (þa) stanas
Gen. (þæs) stanes (þara) stana
Dat. (þæm) stane (þam) stanum

Strong Neuter Short-stem Noun scip, 'ship'
SingularPlural
Nom. (þæt) scip (þa) scipu
Acc. (þæt) scip (þa) scipu
Gen. (þæs) scipes (þara) scipa
Dat. (þæm) scipe (þam) scipum

Strong Neuter Long-stem Noun word, 'word'
SingularPlural
Nominative (þæt) word (þa) word
Acc. (þæt) word (þa) word
Gen. (þæs) wordes (þara) worda
Dat. (þæm) worde (þam) wordum

Strong Feminine Noun giefu, 'gift'
SingularPlural
Nom. (seo) giefu (þa) giefa
Acc. (þa) giefe (þa) giefa
Gen. (þære) giefe (þara) giefa
Dat. (þære) giefe (þam) giefum

Strong Masculine Noun with i-mutation wifmann, woman'
SingularPlural
Nom. (se) wifmann (þa) wifmenn
Acc. (þone) wifmann (þa) wifmann
Gen. (þæs) wifmannes (þara) wifmanna
Dat. (þæm) wifmenn (þam) wifmannum

Strong Feminine Noun with i-mutation boc, 'book'
SingularPlural
Nom. (seo) boc (þa) bec
Acc. (þa) boc (þa) bec
Gen. (þære) bec/boce (þara) boca
Dat. (þære) bec (þam) bocum
_______________

Weak Masculine Noun cnapa, 'boy, servant'
SingularPlural
Nom. (se) cnapa (þa) cnapan
Acc. (þone) cnapan (þa) cnapan
Gen. (þæs) cnapan (þara) cnapena
Dat. (þæm) cnapan (þam) cnapum

Weak Feminine Noun sunne, 'sun'
SingularPlural
Nom. (seo) sunne (þa) sunnan
Acc. (þa) sunnan (þa) sunnan
Gen. (þære) sunnan (þara) sunnena
Dat. (þære) sunnan (þam) sunnum

Weak Neuter Noun eage, 'eye'
SingularPlural
Nom. (þæt) eage (þa) eagan
Acc. (þæt) eage (þa) eagan
Gen. (þæs) eagan (þara) eagena
Dat. (þæm) eagan (þam) eagum

Return to TOC


Adjectives

Strong Adjective til, 'good'
MasculineNeuterFeminine
Nom. til til tilu
Acc. tilne til tile
Gen. tiles tiles tilre
Dat. tilum tilum tilre
Plural
Nom. tile tilu tile
Acc. tile tilu tile
Gen. tilra, -ena tilra, -ena tilra, -ena
Dat. tilum tilum tilum

Weak Adjective tila, 'good'
MasculineNeuterFemininePlural
Nom. tila tile tile tilan
Acc. tilan tile tilan tilan
Gen. tilan tilan tilan tilena, tilra
Dat. tilan tilan tilan tilum

Comparison of Adjectives
PositiveComparativeSuperlative
til tilra tilest
eald ieldra ieldest
lytel læssa læst
god betera/selra betst/selest

Return to TOC


Verbs

Strong Verbs
ClassInfinitive1st Pret.2nd Pret.Past Part.Gradation
I
drifan, drive
draf
drifon
drifen
i a i i
II
creopan, creep
creap
crupon
cropen
eo ea u o
brucan, enjoy
breac
brucon
brocen
u ea u o
III
bregdan, pull
brægd
brugdon
brogden
e æ u o
weorðan, become
wearð
wurdon
worden
eo ea u o
feohtan, fight
feaht
fuhton
fohten
eo ea u o
helpan, help
healp
hulpon
holpen
e ea u o
gielpan, brag
gealp
gulpon
golpen
ie ea u o
swincan, work
swanc
swuncon
swuncen
i a u u
IV
beran, bear
bær
bæron
boren
e æ æ o
V
tredan, trample
træd
trædon
treden
e æ æ e
VI
faran, go
for
foron
faren
a o o a
VII
healdan, hold
heold
heoldon
healden
ea eo eo ea
flowan, flow
fleow
fleowon
flowen
o eo eo o
lacan, play
lec
lecon
lacen
a e e a
_______________

Conjugation of Strong Verbs (swincan, 'to work')
PresentPreterit
Indicative
1 sing. swince swanc
2 sing. swincest swunce
3 sing. swinceþ swanc
Plural swincaþ swuncon
Subjunctive
Sing. swince swunce
Plural swincen swuncen
Participles
swincende (ge)swuncen
Imperative
Sing. swinc
Plural swincaþ
Infl. Inf. to swincenne

Return to TOC

_______________

Weak Verbs
ClassInfinitive1st Pret.Past Part.
1
fremman, do
fremede
(ge)fremed
nerian, save
nerede
(ge)nered
b
deman, judge
demde
(ge)demed
c
secan, seek
sohte
(ge)soht
sellan, give
sealde
(ge)seald
þencan, think
þohte
(ge)þoht
wyrcan, work
worhte
(ge)worht
2
locian, look
locode
(ge)locod
3
habban, have
hæfde
(ge)hæfd
libban, live
lifde
(ge)lifd
secgan, say
sægde
(ge)sægd
hycgan, think
hogode
(ge)hogod
_______________

Conjugation of Weak 1 and 2 Verbs
Infinitive fremman nerian deman locian
Pres. Ind.1a1a1b 2
1 sing. fremme nerie deme locie
2 sing. fremest nerest demest locast
3 sing. fremeþ nereþ demeþ locaþ
Plural fremmaþ neriaþ demaþ lociaþ
Imperative
Sing. freme nerie dem loca
Plural fremmaþ neriaþ demaþ lociaþ
Pres. Subj.
Sing. fremme nerie deme locie
Plural fremmen nerien demen locien
Pret. Ind.
1 sing. fremede nerede demede locode
2 sing. fremedest neredest demedest locodest
3 sing. fremede nerede demede locode
Plural fremedon neredon demedon locodon
Pret. Subj.
Sing. fremede nerede demede locode
Plural fremeden nereden demeden locoden
Infl. Inf. to fremmenne to nerienne to demenne to locienne
Pres. Part. fremmende neriende demende lociende
Past. Part. (ge)fremed (ge)nered (ge)demed (ge)locod
_______________

Conjugation of all Weak 3 Verbs
Infinitive habban libban secgan hycgan
Pres. Ind.
1 sing. hæbbe libbe secge hycge
2 sing. hæfst lifast sægst hycgst
hafast leofast segest hogast
3 sing. hæfð lifað sægð hycgð
hafað leofað segð hogað
Plural habbað libbað secgað hycgað
leofað
Imperative
Sing. hafa leofa saga hyge
sege hoga
Plural habbað libbbað secgað hycgað
leofað
Pres. Subj.
Sing. hæbbe libbe secge hycge
Plural hæbben libben secgen hycgen
Pret. Ind.
Sing. hæfde lifde sægde hogode
leofode sæde
Plural hæfdon lifdon sægdon hogodon
leofodon sædon
Pret. Subj.
Sing. hæfde nerede demede locode
leofode sæde
Plural hæfden lifden sægden hogoden
leofoden sæden

Return to TOC

_______________

Conjugation of Anomalous Verbs, beon / wesan 'be,' don 'do,' gan 'go,' and willan 'will, wish'
Infinitive beon, wesan don gan willan
Pres. Ind.
1 sing. eom do ga wille
beo
2 sing. eart dest gæst wilt
bist
3 sing. is deð gæð wile
bið
Plural sind(on) doð gað willað
beoð
Imperative
Sing. wes do ga
beo
Plural wesað doð gað
beoð
Pres. Subj.
Sing. sie, beo do ga wille
Plural sien, beon don gan willen
Pret. Ind.
Sing. wæs dyde eode wolde
Plural wæron dydon eodon woldon
Pret. Subj.
Sing. wære dyde eode wolde
Plural wæren dyden eoden wolden
Infl. Inf. to beonne to donne to ganne
Pres. Part. wesende donde gande willende
Past. Part. (ge)don (ge)gan
_______________

'Preterit-Present' Verbs
InfinitivePres. sing.Pres. Plu.Pret. sing.
agan, possess
ah
agon
ahte
unnan, grant
an
unnon
uþe
cunnan, can, know how to
can
cunnon
cuþe
*dugan, be of use
deah
dugon
dohte
*durran, dare
dearr
durron
dorste
gemunan, remember
geman
gemunon
gemunde
magan, be able
mæg
magon
mihte, meahte
*motan, may, be allowed to
mot
moton
moste
*(ge)nugan, suffice
neah
nugon
nohte
*sculan, be obliged to
sceal
sculon
sceolde
þurfan, need
þearf
þurfon
þorfte
witan, know
wat
witon
wiste, wisse

(In terms of frequency, the most important preterit-present verbs are: agan, NE owe; cunnan, NE can; magan, NE may; *motan, NE must; *sculan, NE shall; and witan, archaic NE to wit.)

Return to TOC


Home | Syllabus | Language | Literature | Resources | Listserv