Download Build the correct OE VP for the sentence She shoves the man. (man

 Build the correct OE VP for the sentence She shoves the man. (man = wer)
 Step 1: OE scūfan ‘to shove’ is a Class 2 strong verb. Class 2 strong verbs have two
different possible patterns, as you can see on p. 75. In such cases, the stem vowel
tells you which pattern to follow. Since scūfan has the same vowel as lūcan (-ū-), we
should follow the lūcan pattern.
 Step 2: we need a verb form that is in the 3rd person singular present tense. Since
this is a clear statement, we can assume that the indicative mood should be used.
 Step 3: since this VP is in the 3rd person singular present indicative, i-mutation
applies. No problem. The textbook (p. 17) tells you that -ū- does i-mutate, and it imutates into -ȳ-.1
 Step 4: the present tense thus has the i-mutated stem vowel -ȳ-. We remove the
infinitive ending -an, and then add the third person singular present indicative
ending -þ (see p. 65).2 This leaves us with scȳfþ in Hēo scȳfþ þone wer.3
 Build the correct OE VP for the clause if you (singular) hid in the man’s house. (man = wer;
house = hūs)
 Step 1: OE helan ‘to hide’ is a Class 4 strong verb. If we look at p. 75, we find that there
are two possible patterns in Class 4. Since helan has the same stem vowel (-e-) as
stelan, that is the pattern we follow.
 Step 2: we need a verb form in the 2nd person singular past tense. Also, since this is a
hypothetical subordinate clause, the subjunctive mood should probably be used.
 Step 3: no i-mutation applies, since this VP is not in the 2nd or 3rd person singular
present indicative. The 2nd past stem vowel is used in the singular past subjunctive
(see p. 65): this should be -ǣ- for a Class 4 strong verb of this type (see p. 75).
 Step 4: We remove the infinitive ending -an, and add the singular preterite
subjunctive ending -e (see p. 65). This results in hǣle, as in ġif þū hǣle on þæs weres
hūse.4
Note that not all vowels i-mutate: if the stem vowel is not listed on this page, there is no i-mutation. The imutated vowel is actually also given as part of the 3rd person singular present indicative form in the table on
p. 75, although that form is not part of the paradigm for a strong verb, as the i-mutation is predictable.
2
It is also possible to go via the endings given in the table on p. 66, but I suggest looking at the entire
paradigms given on p. 65 (for strong verbs) and p. 70 (for Class 1 weak verbs of the hǣlan type and for Class 2
weak verbs). The reason is that not all variation in the verbal paradigms is covered on p. 66.
3
The following NP is a direct object and should be in the accusative, as scūfan takes accusative direct objects;
wer is a strong masculine noun, so the accusative singular form is wer, and the masculine accusative singular
form of the demonstrative is þone.
4
Þū is simply the nominative form of the second-person singular pronoun. On ‘(up)on, onto, in, into’ is one of
the OE prepositions that could govern either the accusative or the dative. The distinction is usually that the
accusative implies motion and the dative rest (like many prepositions in Present-day German). The dative is
more appropriate here, so we get hūse. Þæs weres is in the genitive singular since it determines hūse.
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 Build the correct OE VP for the sentence I threw the stone. (stone = stān)
 Step 1: OE weorpan ‘to throw’ is a Class 3 strong verb. If we look at p. 75, we find that
there are three possible patterns in Class 3. Since weorpan has the same stem vowel
(-eo-) as hweorfan, that is the pattern we follow.
 Step 2: we need a VP in the 1st person singular past tense. Since this is a clear
statement, let us assume that the indicative should be used.
 Step 3: no i-mutation applies, as this VP is not in the 2nd or 3rd person singular
present indicative.
 Step 4: the 1st past stem vowel is used in the 1st person singular past indicative (see
p. 65). Since weorpan is a Class 3 strong verb that has the infinitive stem vowel -eo-,
the preterite singular vowel should be -ea- (see p. 75). Then we remove the infinitive
ending -an, and do not add anything, as there is no ending in the 1st person singular
past indicative of strong verbs (see p. 65). This leaves us with wearp in Ic wearp þone
stān. 5
 Build the correct OE VP for the sentence They sail to Gotland.
 Step 1: OE ġeseġlian is a Class 2 weak verb.
 Step 2: we need a VP in the 3rd person plural present tense. Since this is a clear
statement, the indicative mood should probably be used.
 Step 3: we don’t have to consider i-mutation, since that step is only relevant to
strong verbs. (Many forms of weak verbs have come about as a result of i-mutation,
but those forms are already part of the paradigm, so we don’t have to change
anything.)
 Step 4: we remove the infinitive ending -ian, and add -iaþ, as this is what happens to
lufian (> lufiaþ) on p. 70. This leaves us with ġeseġliaþ in Hīe ġeseġliaþ tō Gotlande (-e for
dative singular).
Since the stone is a direct object and we have no information that tells us otherwise from the entry for
weorpan in the Glossary, we assume that the accusative case should be used. As stān is a strong masculine noun,
the noun phrase then becomes þone stān.
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