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Article published In: NOWELE
Vol. 70:2 (2017) ► pp.121–134

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The Proto-Germanic irregular weak verbs of class I

 | Leiden University
Published online: 28 September 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/nowele.70.2.01rom
Abstract
This paper attempts to explain the origin and development of a subgroup of the Proto-Germanic weak verbs of class I (Gothic bugjan, waurkjan, þugkjan, þagkjan, sokjan and brukjan). The core of this group consists of Proto-Indo-European zero-grade primary *-i̯e/o presents, which all developed a j-present, ablauting preterit and *-tó- participle in Early Proto-Germanic. In so doing, they came to violate the requirement that each ablauting verb must possess distinct present and preterit stems. With the introduction of a new preterit plural vowel in the ablaut model of classes V and VI, this problem was solved for the primary *-i̯e/o presents belonging to these. Owing to the dominance of the present tense within the strong paradigm, a remodelling of the preterit was also the preferred solution for the remaining verbs, and this was eventually found in the innovation of new weak forms through an analogy involving their *-tó- participle.
Article outline
  • 1.The weak preterit
  • 2.The origin of the irregular weak verbs of class I
  • 3.The reconstruction of *brūkjan-
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (25)
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