Niw Englisc/Grammar/Verbs

Verbs are very similar to both modern English and modern German. The verb has two simple forms: present and past, and three moods: indicative, subjunctive, imperative. Complex forms are made from helping verbs.

Conjugation in all Tenses

Present Tense

Just about every verb will follow this pattern.

finden-to find

	singular	plural
Ic	finde	Wiȝ	findeþ
Þu	findest	Ȝiȝ	findeþ
He, Scie, It	findeþ	Hje	findeþ

Notice the plural is the same ending for all persons. The first person ends in 'e', second in 'est', and third in 'eþ'. This can sometimes shorten to just 'st' or 'þ' when the stem doesn't end in d or a consonant cluster.

sceinen-to shine

	singular	plural
Ic	sceine	Wiȝ	sceineþ
Þu	sceinst	Ȝiȝ	sceineþ
He, Scie, It	sceinþ	Hje	sceineþ

Note the plural doesn't shorten, only the 2nd and 3rd person singular do.

With strong verbs, the 2nd and 3rd person will often umlaut, or change to a front vowel.

breken-to break

	singular	plural
Ic	breke	Wiȝ	brekeþ
Þu	brikst	Ȝiȝ	brekeþ
He, Scie, It	brikþ	Hje	brekeþ

This was the indicative mood, the form of the verb used for facts or things that are happening now. For counter-factual or hypothetical or reported events, you use the subjunctive present. After the conjunction if you always use subjunctive form.

Present Subjunctive

breken-to break

	singular	plural
Ic	breke	Wiȝ	breken
Þu	brekest	Ȝiȝ	breken
He, Scie, It	breke	Hje	breken

The present subjunctive is formed by taking the infinitive -en off the verb, then adding the subjunctive endings:

breken-to break

	singular	plural
Ic	-e	Wiȝ	-en
Þu	brekest	Ȝiȝ	-en
He, Scie, It	-e	Hje	-en

Example: he sæȝþ, þat he sein Auto fare he says that he is driving is car (but I can't verify it) Example: scie sæȝde, þat scie sekk sei she said that she is sick (but I can't verify it)

Past Tense

There are two ways to form the past tense in Niw English, either the weak verb form, or the strong verb form. Weak verbs add a dental (de or te) before the personal suffixes, while strong verbs change vowels in a fairly regular pattern.

For both, the personal endings are going to be the same:

	singular	plural
Ic	-	Wiȝ	-en
Þu	-est	Ȝiȝ	-en
He, Scie, It	-	Hje	-en

Weak Past Tense

dælen-to deal out, distribute, share

	singular	plural
Ic	dælde	Wiȝ	dælden
Þu	dældest	Ȝiȝ	dælden
He, Scie, It	dælde	Hje	dælden

Strong Past Tense

finden-to find

	singular	plural
Ic	fand	Wiȝ	fanden
Þu	fandest	Ȝiȝ	fanden
He, Scie, It	fand	Hje	fanden

Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive, or Subjunctive II, is best translated as 'would do'. After if, you use the subjunctive.

breken-to break

	singular	plural
Ic	bræke	Wiȝ	bræken
Þu	brækest	Ȝiȝ	bræken
He, Scie, It	bræke	Hje	bræken

Examples: Ic bœke þiȝ if þu miȝ asktest I would bake for you if you would ask me The past subjunctive for weak verbs is the same as the regular past tense, so it is often avoided in favor of werðen + infinitive:

dælen-to share

	singular	plural
Ic	wyrde dælen	Wiȝ	wyrden dælen
Þu	wyrdest dælen	Ȝiȝ	wyrden dælen
He, Scie, It	wyrde dælen	Hje	wyrden dælen

Note: for Type 1 weak verbs, they do take an umlaut:

bycgen-to buy

	singular	plural
Ic	bœhte	Wiȝ	bœhten
Þu	bœhtest	Ȝiȝ	bœhten
He, Scie, It	bœhte	Hje	bœhten

Future Tense

There is no conjugation for the future tense, rather, you use a helping verb, werðen to become and the infinitive of the verb. This is translated "I will find" and so on.

finden-to find

	singular	plural
Ic	werðe finden	Wiȝ	werðeþ finden
Þu	wirþst finden	Ȝiȝ	werðeþ finden
He, Scie, It	wirþþ finden	Hje	werðeþ finden

The Future Perfect is formed with werðen and the present perfect infinitive (past participle, plus haben/wesen): I will have found it becomes ic werðe it gefunden haben, or ic will have become a doctor becomes ic werðe an Læcce geworden wesen.

There are three types of verbs in Niw Englisc: strong, weak, and preterite present. Strong verbs change vowel to show tense, weak verbs add te or de, and preterite present change vowels in the singular, and have a suffix in the past tense.

Strong Verbs

There are seven kinds of strong verbs, according to the vowel change they have.

Type 1

Vowel change: ei-a-i

reiden: to ride Principle Parts: reiden (reideþ), rad, geridden

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	reide	Wiȝ	reideþ
Þu	reidest	Ȝiȝ	reideþ
He, Scie, It	reideþ	Hje	reideþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	rad	Wiȝ	raden
Þu	radest	Ȝiȝ	raden
He, Scie, It	rad	Hje	raden

Type 2

Vowel change: ie-o-o; u-o-o

flieten: to float Principle Parts: flieten (flieteþ), flot, is gefloten

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	fliete	Wiȝ	flieteþ
Þu	flietest	Ȝiȝ	flieteþ
He, Scie, It	flieteþ	Hje	flieteþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	flot	Wiȝ	floten
Þu	flotest	Ȝiȝ	floten
He, Scie, It	flot	Hje	floten

Others:

• dufen: to dive (dyfþ, dof, gedofen)
• flieȝen: to fly, flee (flieȝþ, flog, is geflogen)
• flien: to flee (flieþ, floh, is geflohen); transitive aux. haben
• kruden: to crowd, press forward, drive (krydþ, krod, gekroden)
• lieden: to grow, spring up (liedeþ, lod, geloden); used of plants, animals, a people
• tieȝen: to pull, drag, draw (tieȝþ, tog, is getogen); to bring, lead, put; to teach, educate, bring up; to draw near, go, proceed

Type 3

Vowel change: e/i-a-u/o

finden: to find Principle Parts: finden (findeþ), fand, gefunden

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	finde	Wiȝ	findeþ
Þu	findest	Ȝiȝ	findeþ
He, Scie, It	findeþ	Hje	findeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	fand	Wiȝ	fanden
Þu	fandest	Ȝiȝ	fanden
He, Scie, It	fand	Hje	fanden

helpen: to help Principle Parts: helpen (hilpþ), help, geholpen

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	helpe	Wiȝ	helpeþ
Þu	hilpst	Ȝiȝ	helpeþ
He, Scie, It	hilpþ	Hje	helpeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	help	Wiȝ	help en
Þu	help st	Ȝiȝ	help en
He, Scie, It	help	Hje	help en

Type 4

Vowel alternation: e-a-o

beren: to bear Principle Parts: beren (birþ), bar, geboren

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	bere	Wiȝ	bereþ
Þu	birst	Ȝiȝ	bereþ
He, Scie, It	birþ	Hje	bereþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	bar	Wiȝ	baren
Þu	barst	Ȝiȝ	baren
He, Scie, It	bar	Hje	baren

Examples:

• beran: to bear; (birþ, bar, geboren)

Type 5

Vowel alteration: e-a-e

kweðen: to say, speak Principle Parts: kweðen (kwiþþ), kwaþ, gekwedden

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	kweðe	Wiȝ	kweðeþ
Þu	kwiþst	Ȝiȝ	kweðeþ
He, Scie, It	kwiþþ	Hje	kweðeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	kwaþ	Wiȝ	kwaðen
Þu	kwaþst	Ȝiȝ	kwaðen
He, Scie, It	kwaþ	Hje	kwaðen

Type 6

Vowel alternation: a-o-a

baken: to bake Principle Parts: baken (bækþ), bok, gebaken

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	bake	Wiȝ	bakeþ
Þu	bækst	Ȝiȝ	bakeþ
He, Scie, It	bækþ	Hje	bakeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	bok	Wiȝ	boken
Þu	bokst	Ȝiȝ	boken
He, Scie, It	bok	Hje	boken

standen: to stand Principle Parts: standen (stændþ), stod, is gestanden

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	stande	Wiȝ	standeþ
Þu	stændst	Ȝiȝ	standeþ
He, Scie, It	stændþ	Hje	standeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	stod	Wiȝ	stoden
Þu	stodst	Ȝiȝ	stoden
He, Scie, It	stod	Hje	stoden

Examples:

• dragen: to drag, draw; (drægþ, drog, gedragen)
• faren: to travel, go, drive, journey; (færþ, for, is gefaren)
• scafen: to shave; (scæfþ, scof, gescafen)

Type 7

Vowel alterations: a-e-a; o-e-o

halden: to hold Principle Parts: halden (hældþ), held, is gehalden

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	halde	Wiȝ	haldeþ
Þu	hældst	Ȝiȝ	haldeþ
He, Scie, It	hældþ	Hje	haldeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	held	Wiȝ	helden
Þu	heldst	Ȝiȝ	helden
He, Scie, It	held	Hje	helden

Examples:

• ƕopen: to threaten (ƕœpþ, ƕepp, geƕopen)

Type 7 Irregular

These type 7 verbs are the remnants of the reduplication verbs.

spaten: to spit Principle Parts: spaten (spætþ), speft, is gespaten

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	spate	Wiȝ	spateþ
Þu	spætst	Ȝiȝ	spateþ
He, Scie, It	spætþ	Hje	spateþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	speft	Wiȝ	speften
Þu	speftest	Ȝiȝ	speften
He, Scie, It	speft	Hje	speften

Examples:

• beaten: to beat; (beaten, beft, gebeaten)
• dræden: to dread; (drædþ, drerd, gedræden); with reflexive dative, accusative of thing; hje drædeþ hjem þen Kraken they're afraid of the octopus; without dative, uses genitive; scie drædeþ þes Kraken.
• haaten: to be named, call; (hætþ, heht, gehaaten)
  • to be called: (hatte); he hatte Michael: he is called Michael
  • to name, call: þu hætþ hin Nick: you call him Nick. (with double accusative)
  • to order, command; (hætþ, heht, gehaaten); he heht mic kommen: he ordered me to come (w.a. pronoun and infinitive)
• laken: to play, jump around; (lækþ, lelk, gelaken)
• læten: to let, allow; (lætþ, lert, gelæten)
• ondræden: to dread; (ondrædþ, ondrerd, ondræden)
• ræden: to advise; (rædþ, rerd, geræden)
  • this verb has several meanings:
  • to read (rædþ, redd, geræden)
  • to advise (rædþ, rerd, geræden)
  • to interpret, explain (rædþ, redd, geræden)
  • weak: to prepare (rædþ, rædde, geræded)
  • geræden: to consult, give counsel; to arrange, direct, set in order, ordain (gerædþ, geredd, geræden)
• spaten: to spit; (spætþ, spert, gespaten)

Weak Verbs

There are 3 kinds of weak verbs, the type 1, type 2, and irregular (type 3).

Type 1

Historically a large class of verbs, today these are those with vowel alteration in the past tense (formerly class 1b in Old English). Vowel alterations: e-o-o

þenken: to think Principle Parts: þenken (þenkþ), þohte, geþoht

Present Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	þenke	Wiȝ	þenkeþ
Þu	þenkst	Ȝiȝ	þenkeþ
He, Scie, It	þenkþ	Hje	þenkeþ

Past Tense

	singular	plural
Ic	þohte	Wiȝ	þohten
Þu	þohtest	Ȝiȝ	þohten
He, Scie, It	þohte	Hje	þohten

Others:

• bringen: to bring (brohte, gebroht)
• bycgen: to buy (bohte, geboht)
• dreccen: to afflict (drahte, gedraht)
• dwellen: to hinder (dwallde, gedwalld)
• kweccen: to shake (kwahte, gekwaht)
• kwellen: to kill (kwalde, gekwald)
• leccen: to moisten (lahte, gelaht)
• ræcen: to reach (rahte, geraht)
• reccen: to narrate (rahte, geraht)
• seken: to seek, search, look for (sohte, gesoht)
  • ~ to: to try to get from (to): ic seke feif Bœke to þem Bokscoppen I'm trying to get five books from the bookstore
• sellen: to sell (sallde, gesalld)
  • to sell for a price (~ wiþ): þu sellst þie Bok wiþ feif Pund? you're selling the book for five pounds?
  • to sell at a price (~ to): wiȝ selleþ Kaffee to þrim Pund. we sell coffee at three pounds.
  • to give something (w.a.) to somebody (w.d.); he sallde him þat Auto: he gave him the car
• stellen: to place, put (stallde, gestalld)
• streccen: to stretch (strahte, gestraht)
• tæcen: to teach (demonstrate, show) (tahte, getaht)
  • to teach from books would be læren
  • to show the way: he tahte þem Werr þen Pæþ. he showed the man the path
• tellen: to count (tallde, getalld)
• þeccen: to cover (þahte, geþaht)
• þenken: to think (þohte, geþoht)
• þynken: to seem (þuhte, geþuht) impersonal w.d. pronoun; miȝ þynkþ, þat he is ȝong it seems to me that he's young.
• weccen: to awake, wake, rouse from sleep (wahte, gewaht); transitive verb
  • to rouse from sleep
  • to enliven, stimulate, refresh
  • to excite, stir up
  • to raise what is depressed
  • to kindle, give life to; he wahte þat Fyr he kindled the fire
• wyrken: to work (worhte, geworht); also seen as werken and worken
  • with accusative: to make, form, construct
  • to work, do, perform

Type 2

Historically, verbs ending in -ian in Old English belonged to this class. Today these are all regular weak verbs.

Irregular Weak Verbs

There are 4 weak verbs which are irregular, historically speaking.

• haben: to have (hæfþ, hafde, gehafd)
• hycgen: to think (hyjþ, hogde, gehogd)
  • this verb is used to mean: to think, consider, meditate; to determine, intend, strive; unlike þenken, which is used in all other cases of modern 'think'
• libben: to life (lifþ, lifde, gelifd)
• secgen: to say (sæjþ, sæjde, gesæjd)

Preterite Present

There are several preterite-present verbs, several of which are common modal verbs.

Present Indicative

kunnen-to know how to

	singular	plural
Ic	kann	Wiȝ	kunnen
Þu	kannst	Ȝiȝ	kunnen
He, Scie, It	kann	Hje	kunnen

Present Subjunctive:

kunnen-to know how to

	singular	plural
Ic	kunne	Wiȝ	kunnen
Þu	kunnest	Ȝiȝ	kunnen
He, Scie, It	kunne	Hje	kunnen

Present Perfect: ic habe gekuþ Present Perfect Subjunctive: þu habest gekuþ Past Indicative:

kunnen-to know how to

	singular	plural
Ic	kuðe	Wiȝ	kuðen
Þu	kuðest	Ȝiȝ	kuðen
He, Scie, It	kuðe	Hje	kuðen

Past Subjunctive:

kunnen-to know how to

	singular	plural
Ic	kyðe	Wiȝ	kyðen
Þu	kyðest	Ȝiȝ	kyðen
He, Scie, It	kyðe	Hje	kyðen

Past Perfect: ic hafde gekuþ; þat ic gekuþ hafde Past Perfect Subjunctive: ic hæfde gekuþ; þat ic gekuþ hæfde Future Indicative: ic werðe kunnen; þat ic kunnen werðe Future Subjunctive: þu werðest kunnen; þat þu kunnen werðest Future Perfect: ic werðe kunnen haben; þat ic XYZ werðe kunnen haben Future Perfect Subjunctive: þu werðest kunnen haben; if þu XYZ werðest kunnen haben

• agen: to own (ag, agst, ag; ahte, geagen)
• benugen: to need, want, require w.g.
  • principle parts: benugen (beneah), benohte, benugen
• dugen: to avail, be of use (deag, deagst, deag; dohte, gedugen)
• durren: to dare (darr, darrst, darr; dorste, gedurren)
• frakunnen: to despise, scorn, mistrust
• gemunen: to remember (geman, gemanst, geman; gemunde, gemunen)
• genugen: to suffice, be sufficient, not be wanting w.g. (genugen (geneah), genohte, genugen)
• kunnen: to know how to, can, be able to
  • principle parts: kunnen (kann), kuðe, gekunnen
• magen: to be able to, can
  • principle parts: magen (mæȝ), mahte, gemagen
• moten: to have permission to, may
  • principle parts: moten (mot, most), moste, gemoten
• scullen: to be obligated to, shall (scall, scollde, gescullen)
• þurfen: to need (þarf, þorfte, geþurfen)
• unnen: to grant (ann, uðe, geunnen)
• witten: to know (waat, wiste, gewitten)

Of the above, the modal verbs (which take infinitives to complete their meaning) are: kunnen, durren, magen, moten, þurfen, scullen, willen

Example: ic þarf gaan I need to go ic will gaan I want to go ic mot gaan I may go ic scall gaan I shall go ic darr gaan I dare to go ic mæȝ gaan I can go (I am able to go) ic kann gaan I know how to go

Wesen: To be

The verb to be is irregular in practically every Indo-European language, and Niw Englisc is no different.

Present Tense

Indicative:

wesen-to be

	singular	plural
Ic	em	Wiȝ	sind
Þu	ert	Ȝiȝ	sind
He, Scie, It	is	Hje	sind

Subjunctive:

wesen-to be

	singular	plural
Ic	seie	Wiȝ	seien
Þu	seiest	Ȝiȝ	seien
He, Scie, It	seie	Hje	seien

Present Perfect: wesen + gewesen: ic em gewesen Present Perfect Subjunctive: ic sei gewesen

Past Tense

Indicative:

wesen-to be

	singular	plural
Ic	was	Wiȝ	waren
Þu	wast	Ȝiȝ	waren
He, Scie, It	was	Hje	waren

Subjunctive:

wesen-to be

	singular	plural
Ic	wære	Wiȝ	wæren
Þu	wærest	Ȝiȝ	wæren
He, Scie, It	wære	Hje	wæren

Past Perfect: ic was gewesen Past Perfect Subjunctive: ic wære gewesen

Future Tense

Alone amongst all verbs, wesen has a future tense, supplied by the future infinitive been. Indicative:

wesen-to be

	singular	plural
Ic	bim	Wiȝ	beeþ
Þu	bist	Ȝiȝ	beeþ
He, Scie, It	biþ	Hje	beeþ

Subjunctive (pronounced in two syllables bay-eh, bay-est, etc.):

wesen-to be

	singular	plural
Ic	bee	Wiȝ	been
Þu	beest	Ȝiȝ	been
He, Scie, It	bee	Hje	been

Referring to the present or near present: Future Perfect: ic bim gewesen I will have been Future Perfect Subjunctive: ic bee gewesen I may want to have been

Referring to the past from a future time frame: Future Perfect: ic bim gebeen I will have been Future Perfect Subjunctive: ic bee gebeen I may want to have been