Weak Verbs conjugate in ending, not in ablaut transformation like in the Strong Verb class.
Form their preterite tense by adding suffixes such as “-de” and “-don”
Contains three classes of weak verbs:
- infinitive in -an or -rian
- infinitive in –ian (except –rian)
- the quartet: habban, libban, secgan, and hycgan, which combine characteristics of both the other classes and in which there is much variation.
The important difference between Class 1 and Class 2 verbs are in the vowel of the present 3rd- pers.sg. ending and the preterite 3rd-pers.sg and pl. endings and the past participle.
There are three distinguished types within Class 1: Fremman herian, and deman
- Fremman ‘do’- has a short vowel and a double consonant before -an
- herian ‘praise’- categorized with those in –rian
- deman ‘judge’- most of which have a long vowel or dipthong and single consonant in their stem
All of the first types retain an -e- in the preterite ending.
See the link for the chart below for an in depth visual.
class 1 and 2 of weak verbs chart