(A.) ROOT VERBS.
828. A root without addition is used as the present stem, in the present
tense or parts of the present tense, in root verbs (744-781): as,
#es-t#, _is_; #da-t#, _gives_; #inqui-t#, _quoth he_; #i-t#, _goes_;
#nequi-t#, _can’t_; #ēs-t#, _eats_; #vol-t#, _will_; #fer-t#, _carries_.
With reduplicated root (189): #bibi-t#, _drinks_; #seri-t#, _sows_;
#sisti-t#, _sets_.
(B.) VERBS IN #-ere#.
829. (1.) The present stem of many verbs in #-ere# is formed by adding a
variable vowel #{-o|e-}#, which appears in the first person singular
active as #-ō#, to a root ending in a consonant or in two consonants:
as,
PRESENT STEM. VERB. FROM THEME.
reg{o|e-} regō, _guide_ +reg-+
vert{o|e-} vertō, _turn_ +vert-+
Other examples are: #tegō#, _cover_, #petō#, _make for_; #mergō#, _dip_,
#serpō#, _creep_; #pendō#, _weigh_; #dīcō#, _say_, #fīdō#, _trust_,
#scrībō#, _write_, with long #ī# for #ei# (98); #dūcō#, _lead_, with
long #ū# for #eu#, #ou# (100); #lūdō#, _play_, with long #ū# for #oi#,
#oe# (99); #laedō#, _hit_, #claudō#, _shut_; #rādō#, _scrape_, #cēdō#,
_move along_, #fīgō#, _fix_, #rōdō#, _gnaw_, #glūbō#, _peel_. #*furō#,
_rave_; #agō#, _drive_, #alō#, _nurture_. #gignō#, _beget_, (#gen-#,
#gn-#), has reduplication, and #sīdō#, _settle_, _light_ (#sed-#,
#sd-#), is also the result of an ancient reduplication (189).
830. In some present stems an original consonant has been modified:
as, #gerō#, _carry_ (#ges-#), #ūrō#, _burn_ (154); #trahō#, _draw_
(#tragh-#), #vehō#, _cart_ (152); or has disappeared: as, #fluō#, _flow_
(#flūgu-#).
831. Some roots in a mute have a nasal before the mute in the present
stem: as, #frangō#, _break_ (#frag-#). Other examples are: #iungō#,
_join_, #linquō#, _leave_, #pangō#, _fix_, #pingō#, _paint_; #findō#,
_cleave_, #fundō#, _pour_; #-cumbō#, _lie_, #lambō#, _lick_, #rumpō#,
_break_ (164, 3). The nasal sometimes runs over into the perfect or
perfect participle, or both.
832. (2.) The present stem of many verbs in #-ere# is formed by adding a
suffix ending in a variable vowel #{-o|e-}#, which appears in the first
person singular active as #-ō#, to a root: thus, #-nō#, #-scō#, #-tō#,
#-iō#: as,
PRESENT STEM. VERB. FROM THEME.
lin{o|e-} linō, _besmear_ +li-+
crēsc{o|e-} crēscō, _grow_ +crē-+
pect{o|e-} pectō, _comb_ +pec-+
capi{o|e-} capiō, _take_ +cap-+
833. (_a._) #-nō# is added to roots in a vowel, or in a continuous
sound, #-m-#, #-r-#, or #-l-#.
So regularly #linō#, _besmear_, #sinō#, _let_; #temnō#, _scorn_,
#cernō#, _sift_, #spernō#, _spurn_, only. The third persons plural
#danunt# (Naev., Plaut.) for #dant#, #prōdīnunt#, #redīnunt# (Enn.) for
#prōdeunt#, #redeunt# hardly belong here; their formation is obscure. In
a few verbs, #-n# is assimilated (166, 6): as, #tollō#, _lift_.
Sometimes the doubled #l# runs into the perfect (855): as, #vellī#,
#fefellī#. #minuō#, _lessen_, and #sternuō#, _sneeze_, have a longer
suffix #-nu{o|e-}#.
834. (_b._) #-scō#, usually meaning ‘_begin to_,’ forms presents called
_Inceptives_ or _Inchoatives_.
#-scō# is attached: first, to roots: as, #nāscor#, _am born_, #nōscō#,
_learn_, #pāscō#, _feed_, #scīscō#, _resolve_; consonant roots have #ī#,
less commonly #ē#, before the suffix: as, #tremīscō# or #tremēscō#,
_fall a-trembling_, #nancīscor#, _get_ (831); but #discō#, _learn_
(170, 1), and #poscō#, _demand_ (170, 10), are shortened; see 168.
Secondly, to a form of the present stem of denominative verbs,
especially of those in #-ēre#: as, #clārēscō#, _brighten_; the stem is
often assumed only, as in #inveterāscō#, _grow old_, #mātūrēscō#, _get
ripe_. Many inceptives are used only in composition: as, #extimēscō#,
_get scared_, #obdormīscō#, _drop asleep_.
835. (_c._) #-tō# occurs in the following presents from guttural roots:
#flectō#, _turn_, #nectō#, _string_, #pectō#, _comb_, #plector#, _am
struck_, #amplector#, _hug_, #complector#, _clasp_. From a lingual root
#vid-#, comes #vīsō#, _go to see_, _call on_ (153). From vowel roots:
#bētō# or #bītō#, _go_, and #metō#, _mow_.
836. (_d._) #-iō# is usually added to consonant roots with a short
vowel; the following have presents formed by this suffix:
#capiō#, _take_, #cupiō#, _want_, #faciō#, _make_, #fodiō#, _dig_,
#fugiō#, _run away_, #iaciō#, _throw_, #pariō#, _bring forth_, #quatiō#,
_shake_, #rapiō#, _seize_, #sapiō#, _have sense_, and their compounds;
the compounds of #*laciō#, _lure_, and #speciō# or #spiciō#, _spy_, and
the deponents #gradior#, _step_, #morior#, _die_, and #patior#,
_suffer_, and their compounds. For occasional forms like those of verbs
in #-īre# (or #-īrī#), see 791. For #aiō#, see 786; for #fīō#, 788.
837. A few present stems are formed by adding a variable vowel
#{-o|e-}#, for an older #-i{o|e-}#, to a vowel root: as,
#ruō#, _tumble down_, #rui-s#, #rui-t#, #rui-mus#, #rui-tis#, #ruu-nt#
(114). Vowel roots in #-ā-#, #-ē-#, or #-ī-# have a present stem like
that of denominatives: as, #stō#, _stand_, #stā-s#, #sta-t#, #stā-mus#,
#stā-tis#, #sta-nt#; #fleō#, _weep_, #flē-s#, #fle-t#, #flē-mus#,
#flē-tis#, #fle-nt#; #neō#, _spin_, has once #neu-nt# for #ne-nt#
(Tib.); #sciō#, _know_, #scī-s#, #sci-t#, #scī-mus#, #scī-tis#,
#sciu-nt#.
838. Most present stems formed by adding the suffix #-iō# to a root
ending in #-l-#, #-r-#, or #-n-#, and all formed by adding #-iō# to a
long syllable, have the form of denominatives in #-īre# in the present
system: as, #saliō#, _leap_, #salīre#, #aperiō#, _open_, #aperīre#,
#veniō#, _come_, #venīre#; #farciō#, _cram_, #farcīre#.
[Errata:
830 ... (#tragh-#) ... (#flūgu-#).
In these two roots, the pairs “gh” and “gu” are printed together,
while the other letters of the root are spaced as usual.
834 ... less commonly #ē#, before the suffix
#ē#. before
835 ... #pectō#, _comb_
#pectō# _comb_]