The characteristic features of the weak verbs are as follows:
1) The Past Tense is formed with the dental element, usually it is – de.
2) Most weak verbs have mutated forms in the Infinitive.
3) Three principle forms of weak verbs are distinguished:
§ the Infinitive
§ the Past Tense
§ the Past Participle
4) They fall into 3 classes.
Class I is subdivided into regular andirregularverbs.
fremman– fremede– fremed
dēman – dēmede – dēmed
nerian – nerede– nered
Class I is one of the most numerous classes. Mutation here is found in all the 3 forms in the regular verbs. Besides there are irregular verbs with mutation only in the form of the infinitive:
tellan – tealde – teald (to count)
The verbs of class I formerly possessed the suffix - *jan in the Infinitive. In this suffix j became vocalized: j > i > e. Therefore sometimes the verbs of class I end in the Infinitive not in an but in ean: reccean.
Class II is also numerous. The characteristic suffixes are -ian (Infinitive),
-ode (Past Tense), -od (Past Participle).
macian – macode – macod
lufian – lufode – lufod
Class III is the least numerous. It is no longer productive already in OE. Verbs that formerly belonged to this class passed into class I and particularly into class II. Here the suffix is joined to the root without a linking vowel, -d is joined to the root.
sec™an – sæ™de, sæde – sæ™d
hyc™an – ho™de – ho™d (to think)
libban – lifde – lifd (to live)
