The weak verbs form the preterit by the addition of a suffix beginning
with a dental consonant; e. g., =nasja=, _I save_, =nasida=, _I saved_.
This suffixal element, =-da=, was formerly regarded as a form of the
verb 'do' (Germanic dôn), wherefore the weak prt. was also calld
'compound preterit'.
The weak verbs (except a few) ar derivativ verbs. According to their
formativ suffixes, which ar best preservd in the preterit forms, they
ar divided into four classes: (1) Suffix =i= (in the present =j=):
=nasja=, =nasi-da=. (2) Suffix =ô=: =salbô=, =salbô-da=. (3) Suffix
=ai= (in the present in part obscured): =haba=, =habai-da=. (4) Suffix
=nô= (in the present =n=): =fullna=, =fullnô-da=.
NOTE. The small number of verbs which can not be referd to the two
chief classes must, according to this classification, be considerd
'irregular'.