Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-ēn
Proto-West Germanic
editEtymology
editFrom Proto-Germanic *-āną, by extending the suffix alternant -ai- throughout all forms, analogous to the second weak class.
Suffix
edit*-ēn
- Creates denominative verbs from nouns.
- Creates stative or factitive verbs from adjectives.
Inflection
editClass 3 weak | ||
---|---|---|
Infinitive | *-ēn | |
1st sg. past | *-?dā | |
Infinitive | *-ēn | |
Genitive infin. | *-ēnijas | |
Dative infin. | *-ēnijē | |
Instrum. infin. | *-ēniju | |
Indicative | Present | Past |
1st singular | *-ē | *-?dā |
2nd singular | *-ēs | *-?dēs, *-?dēs |
3rd singular | *-ēþ | *-?dē, *-?dā |
1st plural | *-ēm | *-?dum |
2nd plural | *-ēþ | *-?dud |
3rd plural | *-ēnþ | *-?dun |
Subjunctive | Present | Past |
1st singular | *-ē | *-?dī |
2nd singular | *-ēs | *-?dī |
3rd singular | *-ē | *-?dī |
1st plural | *-ēm | *-?dīm |
2nd plural | *-ēþ | *-?dīd |
3rd plural | *-ēn | *-?dīn |
Imperative | Present | |
Singular | *-ē | |
Plural | *-ēþ | |
Present | Past | |
Participle | *-ēndī | *-?d |
Derived terms
editDescendants
editRemained only slightly productive in Old High German. In the others, it was replaced almost entirely with the second weak class. However, the existence of a few relic verbs in Old English shows that this class, too, underwent an innovative extension to *-ējan in the northern languages before being eliminated.