Middle English Grammar

The Verb

Introduction & Present Tense System

The regular verbs in Middle English, as in all the Germanic languages, fall into two main categories: strong and weak; the former being those which change tense via a stem vowel change and word-endings (as in today’s sing, sang, sung) while the latter are those which change tense via the addition of word-endings to an unchanging stem.  The strong verbs, again like the other German languages to lesser or greater extents, exhibits seven “classes” of strong verb, classified according to the way the stem vowel changes across the principle parts, called the “ablut” in technical language.  Irregular verbs, the usual hybrid types, and present perfect verbs round up the list of verb types.

The Middle English verb has two numbers, (singular and plural), one voice (active), three moods (indicative, subjunctive and imperative) and two tenses (present and preterite / simple past), and two participles (present and past – I do not wish to address the gerund v supine issue at this point).  This is not to say that one could not express passive constructions or the perfect and pluperfect tenses in Middle English.  These were constructed, like today, with “auxiliary” verbs, the use of which shows the progression of the language to an analytic language from the endings-dependent Old English / Anglo-Saxon.  Middle English does, however, entirely lack the future tense.  Latin futures are translated in the plain present tense during this period.  Present usage includes using present forms with future meaning, so it is not a huge burden in reading.

In what follows, I will first address the  principle parts of the verb and the forms of the present system. The present system has the advantage of being the same for strong and weak verbs.¹

Matters relating to the syntax of the verb which do not impinge on verb form will be addressed separately under syntax.

The principle parts of the Middle English verb

The principle parts of the Middle English verb, those minimum words from which all other forms can be derived, consist of four:

1)      the infinitive;

2)      the preterite (simple past) tense first person singular;

3)      the preterite plural; and

4)      the past participle

Hence, the verb “to drive” has the following principle parts:

1)      driven: to drive

2)      draaf: I drove

3)      driven: we/you/they drove

4)      driven: have driven

This example does not take into account the dialect variations.

The present system

All forms in the present system are formed by the addition of endings added to the present stem, which is the infinitive without the -en ending.² Parentheses around a letter or group of letters means it is sometimes included, other times not. As a rule, starting in the north, the optional endings progressively disappear as the Middle English period progresses.

Present System: Strong  & Weak Verbs

DIALECT:                                           North      Midlands           South
Indicative: 1^st person                 -(e)              -e                        -e
                        2^nd person                -es             -est, -es             -(e)st
                        3^rd person                 -es             -es, -eþ              -eþ
                       Plural       -es, -is       -es, e(n)             -eþ

Subjunctive: Singular                   -(e)              -e                       -e
                          Plural                       -(en)           -e(n)                  -e(n)

Imperative: Sing. 2^nd pers.               ---              ---                      ---
                    Plural 2^nd pers./ polite -es              -eþ                     -eþ

Participle                                        -and(e)        -and, ende,       -inde, -ing(e)
                                                                                 -ing(e)

INDICATIVE             North Midlands South
1 driv(e) drive drive
2                                    drives drivest / -es driv(e)st
3                                    drives drivest / -eþ driveþ
Plural                            drives / -is drives / - e(n) driveþ

SUBJUNCTIVE
Singular                        driv(e) drive drive 
Plural                            driv(en) drive(n) drive(n)

IMPERATIVE
Sing. 2^nd pers.                 — — —
Plural 2^nd pers. / polite drives driveþ driveþ             

PARTICIPLE drivand(e) drivand / -ende drivinde / -ing(e)
- ing(e)

1. In subsequent posts, I will lay out the seven classes of strong verb, mainly for the enjoyment of those who like that sort of thing but also as a vocabulary source.  From there, I will lay out the forms of the preterite system for strong and weak verbs, followed by the important irregular, hybrid and perfect-present verbs. Nouns, pronouns, adjectives the definite article and possessives I shall “sprinkle in” as the spirit moves me and the need arises.

2. I refer only to the -en ending of the infinitive, at this point, as this is the form in which verbs appear in Middle English dictionaries. Dialectical variation, particularly the northern elimination of most endings, means the infinitive too has dialect forms which vary over time. In some internet-based dictionaries, the infinitive is listed without the final -n.