(Inflection like that of =nasida=, § 184.)
_3. IRREGULARITIES._
§ 206. The distinction between the present stem and the preterit
stem of the strong ablaut verbs consists only in the change of the
vowel. The consonantal skeleton of the word remains the same. This was
not always so, for in proethnic Germanic, as in other Indo-Germanic
languages, there existed present formations with additional consonantal
elements. Of these a few remnants stil survive in Gothic, which from a
Gothic point of view must be regarded as irregularities.
(a) Present formations with =j=. The =j= of these formations which in
the present inflect entirely like weak verbs of the I. conjug. (as,
=nasjan=, =sôkjan=), is no formativ suffix and is dropt in the prt.
and pp. The existing exampls ar:--=bidjan= (§ 176, n. 5), =hafjan=,
=fraþjan=, =hlahjan=, =skapjan=, =skaþjan=, =wahsjan= (§ 177, n. 2),
=arjan= (§ 179, n. 5). Cp. also § 209.
(b) Present stems with a final nasal: =keinan= (§ 172, n. 2) and
=fraíhnan= (§ 176, n. 4); --a medial nasal is seen in =standan= (§ 177,
n. 3).
§ 207. The verb =gaggan= belongs, according to its present and pp. and
according to the testimony of the other Germanic languages, to the
reduplicated verbs (§ 179, n. 3). Its prt. is uzually represented by
the defectiv =iddja= which is conjugated like a weak prt.: =iddja=, _I
went_, =iddjês=, =iddja=, etc.; opt. =iddjêdjau=. Onse, however (Lu.
XIX, 12), a weak prt. =gaggida= occurs.
§ 208. =briggan=, _to bring_, is, according to its prs., an ablaut
verb (III), but the prt. (with ablaut) is formd weak: =brâhta= (from
=*branhta=, § 5, b), pp. [=brâhts=].
§ 209. Sum verbs whose present follows the first weak conjug. (in
part perhaps belonging to § 206, a), form the prt. weak, but without
the formativ suffix =i=: =bugjan=, _to buy_, =baúhta=; =brûkjan=,
_to uze_, =brûhta=; =waúrkjan=, _to work_, =waúrhta=; =þagkjan=, _to
think_, =þâhta= (§ 5, b); =þugkjan=, _to seem_, =þûhta= (§ 15, b).
The extant pps. ar:--=baúhts= < =bugjan=, =waúrhts= < =waúrkjan=, the
remaining ones would be =brûhts=, =þâhts=, =þûhts= (§ 75); =þâhts=
occurs in =anda-þâhts=, _cautious, vigilant_; =þûhts= in =háuh-þûhts=,
=mikil-þûhts=, _haughty_.
NOTE. Cp. also =kaupatjan= (§ 187, n. 1), which has, however, the
formativ =i= in the pp.