Old English strong verbs are inflected not only in endings that indicate person and number, but also by internal changes that indicate tense. The ablaut series indicates internal vowel shifts in strong verbs. In this chart, the ablaut series is listed by class and tense.
Infinitive | Pret. Sg. | Pret. Pl. | Past Participle | |
1. | ī | ā | i | i |
2. | ēo | ēa | u | o |
3. | *i | *a | *u | *u |
4. | e | æ | æ | o |
5. | e | æ | æ | e |
6. | a | ō | ō | a |
7. | ā | ē | ē | ā |
Strong verbs conjugate regularly as well as shifting internally. Below are paradigms of each of the seven classes of strong verbs, indicating ablaut changes between present and preterite tenses and endings for all three cases in both singular and plural forms.
Class I
drifan – to drive
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | drife | draf |
2 |
drifest | drife |
3 |
drifeþ | draf |
Pl. 1 | drifaþ | drifon |
2 |
drifaþ | drifon |
3 |
drifaþ | drifon |
Class II
ceosan – to choose
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | ceose | ceas |
2 |
ceosest | cure |
3 |
ceoseþ | ceas |
Pl. 1 | ceosaþ | curon |
2 |
ceosaþ | curon |
3 |
ceosaþ | curon |
Class III
feohtan – to fight
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | feohte | feaht |
2 |
feohtest | fuhte |
3 |
feohteþ | feaht |
Pl. 1 | feohtaþ | fuhton |
2 |
feohtaþ | fuhton |
3 |
feohtaþ | fuhton |
Class IV
beran – to bear
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | bere | bær |
2 |
berest | bære |
3 |
bereþ | bær |
Pl. 1 | beraþ | bæron |
2 |
beraþ | bæron |
3 |
beraþ | bæron |
Class V
biddan – to bid
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | bidde | bæd |
2 |
biddest | bæde |
3 |
biddeþ | bæd |
Pl. 1 | biddaþ | bædon |
2 |
biddaþ | bædon |
3 |
biddaþ | bædon |
pleon – to expose to danger
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | pleoh | pleah |
2 |
pliehst | plæge |
3 |
pliehþ | pleah |
Pl. 1 | pleoþ | plægon |
2 |
pleoþ | plægon |
3 |
pleoþ | plægon |
Class VI
faran – to go
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | fare | for |
2 |
farest | fore |
3 |
fareþ | for |
Pl. 1 | faraþ | foron |
2 |
faraþ | foron |
3 |
faraþ | foron |
Class VII
hatan – to command
Person | Present | Preterite |
Sg. 1 | hate | het |
2 |
hatest | hete |
3 |
hateþ | het |
Pl. 1 | hataþ | heton |
2 |
hataþ | heton |
3 |
hataþ | heton |
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