In the strong verbs the plural of the pret. indic. generally has a
different vowel from that of the sing. (_ic band_, _w[=e] bundon_). The 2nd
sing. pret. indic. and the whole pret. subj. always have the vowel of the
preterite plural indicative (_th[=u] bunde, ic bunde, w[=e] bunden_.)
The 2nd and 3rd persons sing. of the pres. indic. often mutate the
root-vowel, thus:--
a _becomes_ [e,] _as in_ (h[=e]) st[e,]nt _from_ standan (_stand_).
ea " ie " fielth " feallan (_fall_).
e " i " cwithth " cwethan (_say_).
eo " ie " wierth " weorthan (_happen_).
[=a] " [=ae] " h[=ae]tt " h[=a]tan (_command_).
[=o] " [=e] " gr[=e]wth " gr[=o]wan (_grow_).
[=e]a " [=i]e " h[=i]ewth " h[=e]awan (_hew_).
[=e]o " [=i]e " [.c][=i]est " [.c][=e]osan (_choose_).
[=u] " [=y] " l[=y]cth " l[=u]can (_close_).
{24}
The full ending of the 3rd pers. sing. pres. indic. is _-eth_, which is
generally contracted, with the following consonant-changes:--
-teth _becomes_ -tt _as in_ l[=ae]tt _from_ l[=ae]tan (_let_).
-deth " -tt " b[=i]tt " b[=i]dan (_wait_).
-ddeth " -tt " bitt " biddan (_pray_).
-theth " -thth " cwithth " cwethan (_say_).
-seth " -st " [.c][=i]est " [.c][=e]osan (_choose_).
-ndeth " -nt " bint " bindan (_bind_).
Double consonants become single, as in _h[=e] fielth_ from _feallan_.
Before the _-st_ of the 2nd pers. consonants are often dropt, as in _th[=u]
cwist_ from _cwethan_, _th[=u] [.c][=i]est_ from _[.c][=e]osan_; and _d_
becomes _t_, as in _th[=u] bintst_ from _bindan_.
For the changes between _s_ and _r_, _th_ and _d_, _g_ and _h_, see p. 7.
Some verbs, such as _s[=e]on_ (see), drop the _h_ and contract before most
inflections beginning with a vowel:--_ic s[=e]o_, _w[=e] s[=e]oth_, _t[=o]
s[=e]onne_; but _h[=e] sihth_.
There are seven conjugations of strong verbs, distinguished mainly by the
different formation of their preterites. The following lists comprise all
the strong verbs that occur in the texts given in this book, together with
several others of the commoner ones.