Part 2 — CHAPTER VII.
Reading edition
(b) Neuter a-Stems.
31.
The neuter nouns of the a-Declension differ from the masculines only in the N.A. plural.
32.
Paradigms of ðæt hof, court, dwelling; ðaet bearn, child; ðæt bān, bone; ðæt rīce, kingdom; ðæt spere, spear; ðæt werod, band of men; ðæt tungol, star:
Sing. N.A. hof bearn bān rīc-e sper-e werod tungol
G. hof-es bearn-es bān-es rīc-es sper-es werod-es tungl-es
D.I. hof-e bearn-e bān-e rīc-e sper-e werod-e tungl-e
Plur N.A. hof-u bearn bān rīc-u sper-u werod tungl-u
G. hof-a bearn-a bān-a rīc-a sper-a werod-a tungl-a
D.I. hof-um bearn-um bān-um rīc-um sper-um werod-um tungl-um
33.
The paradigms show (1) that monosyllables with short stems (hof) take -u in the N.A. plural; (2) that monosyllables with long stems (bearn, bān) do not distinguish the N.A. plural from the N.A. singular;1 (3) that dissyllables in -e, whether the stem be long or short (rīce, spere), have -u in the N.A. plural; (4) that dissyllables ending in a consonant and having the first syllable short2 (werod) do not usually distinguish the N.A. plural from the N.A. singular; (5) that dissyllables ending in a consonant and having the first syllable long (tungol) more frequently take -u in the N.A. plural.
Note.—Syncopation occurs as in the masculine a-stems. See § 27, (4).
34.
Present and Preterit Indicative of habban, to have:
Present.
Sing. 1. Ic hæbbe, I have, or shall have.3
2. ðū hæfst (hafast), thou hast, or wilt have.
3. hē, hēo, hit hæfð (hafað), he, she, it has, or will have.
Plur. 1. wē habbað, we have, or shall have.
2. gē habbað, ye have, or will have.
3. hīe habbað, they have, or will have.
Preterit.
Sing. 1. Ic hæfde I had.
2. ðū hæfdest, thou hadst.
3. hē, hēo, hit hæfde, he, she, it had.
Plur. 1. wē hæfdon, we had.
2. gē hæfdon, ye had.
3. hīe hæfdon, they had.
Note.—The negative ne, not, which always precedes its verb, contracts with all the forms of habban. The negative loses its e, habban its h. Ne + habban = nabban; Ic ne hæbbe = Ic næbbe; Ic ne hæfde = Ic næfde, etc. The negative forms may be got, therefore, by simply substituting in each case n for h.
35.
Vocabulary.
ðæt dæl, dale.
ðæt dēor, animal [deer4].
ðæt dor, door.
ðæt fæt, vessel [vat].
ðæt fȳr, fire.
ðæt gēar, year.
ðæt geoc, yoke.
ðæt geset, habitation [settlement].
ðæt hēafod, head.
ðæt hūs, house.
ðæt līc, body [lich-gate].
ðæt lim, limb.
on (with dat.) in.
ðæt spor, track.
ðæt wǣpen, weapon.
ðæt wīf, wife, woman.
ðæt wīte, punishment.
ðæt word, word.
36.
Exercises.
I. 1. Hē hafað ðæs cyninges bearn. 2. Ðā Wēalas habbað ðā speru. 3. Ðā wīf habbað ðāra sęcga wǣpnu. 4. Ðū hæfst ðone fugol ǫnd ðæt hūs ðæs hierdes. 5. Hæfð5 hēo ðā fatu6? 6. Hæfde hē ðæs wīfes līc on ðǣm hofe? 7. Hē næfde ðæs wīfes līc; hē hæfde ðæs dēores hēafod. 8. Hæfð sē cyning gesetu on ðǣm dæle? 9. Sē bōcere hæfð ðā sēolas on ðǣm hūse. 10. Gē habbað frēodōm.
II. 1. They have yokes and spears. 2. We have not the vessels in the house. 3. He had fire in the vessel. 4. Did the woman have (= Had the woman) the children? 5. The animal has the body of the woman’s child. 6. I shall have the heads of the wolves. 7. He and she have the king’s houses. 8. Have not (= Nabbað) the children the warrior’s weapons?
