3.8.6.3. Preterite-present Verbs

Preterite-present verbs were rather well preserved in ME, except the verb ʒeneah (enough). Nevertheless, they underwent multiple phonetic, morphological and semantic changes in accordance with the general tendencies of the period.

The ME verbs dowen < OE duʒan (be worthy), thurven < OE þurfan (need), unnen < OE unnan (grant), munen < OE munan (remember) first lost their infinitives and then fell out of use in the 15-th c. By the end of the ME period the verb thurven was ousted by the verb needen < OE nīedan.

The ME verb witen (know) was in use up to the 17-th c. Later it was ousted by the verb «know», but it survived in the idiom to wit (namely). The form of the present singular wot < OE wāt is still present in the saying God wot (God knows).

The ME verb ōwen < OE āʒan (possess) developed into the verb to owe with the same meaning. At the same time in past tense forms aught (in the North) and ought (in the South) another shifting of meaning from «past» to «present» took place. Aught and ought acquired a new modal meaning in combination with to + infinitive.

The ME verb cunnen < OE cunnan very early lost its infinitive, and the form of the 1-st and 3-rd persons singular penetrated the plural in the North.

In ME the verb can and especially its past participle is still used in the original meaning «know», e.g. to ferne halwes couthe in sundry londes (Chaucer) (to old saints, known in various lands). However, the verb can, couth/coude is much more common as a modal verb, denoting physical and mental ability. Gradually it replaced ME verbs mōt (NE must) and may in these meanings. The insertion of «l» in spelling in ME could < coude may be due to the analogy with «should» and «would.

The adjectives couth [ku:θ], uncouth [′лn′ku:θ] (rude) came from Northern dialects.

ME may (< OE mæʒ) and its past meahte/mihte were the only forms preserved in ME. Compared with OE may has narrowed its meaning, for some of its functions (namely, indication of physical and mental ability) have passed to the verb can.

The verb mōtan already had no infinitive in OE. In ME, the present tense forms mōt, mōten were lost, while its past tense form mōste (NE must) acquired the meaning of obligation and became a present tense form.

In Late ME and Early NE shal (< OE sceal) and its past tense form sholde (< OE sceolde) (NE should) split into two separate modal verbs, each with its own meaning; simultaneously sholde acquired the present tense meaning. Shal also came to be used as an auxiliary verb to build future forms.Later the OE verb willan (which was outside the group of preterite-present verbs), mostly used as as a modal verb expressing volition, began to build future forms.

The ME verb durren < OE durran developed into the modal verb dare < dar, dare. In NE, it acquired the regular past tense form dared, which was used alongside the old form durst. Cf. I did not dare to say anything. I durst not say anything.

Changes of the Preterite–Present Verbs in Middle English and Early New English

Period	Infinitive	Present sg	Present pl	Past	Past participle
OE ME NE	witan witen –	wāt wǭt wot	witon witen –	wiste wiste –	ʒewiten witen –
OE ME NE	āʒan – –	āʒ ouh owe	āʒon owen –	āhte ughte ought	āʒen owen own
OE ME NE	duʒan dowen –	dēaʒ deh –	duʒon dowen –	dohte doughte –	– – –
OE ME NE	cunnan cunnen –	can(n) can can	cunnon cunnen –	cūþe coude could	cūþ/cunne couth –
OE ME NE	unnan – –	ann an –	unnon unnen –	ūþe oughte –	ʒeunnen – –
OE ME NE	durran durren –	dear dar dare	durron durren –	dorste durste durst/dared	– – –
OE ME NE	Þurfan – –	Þearf tharf –	Þurfon thurven –	Þorfte thurfte –	– – –
OE ME NE	sculan – –	sceal(l) shal shall	sculon shulen –	sceolde/scolde sholde/should should	– – –
OE ME NE	munan – –	mon/man man –	munon munen –	munde – –	ʒemunen – –
OE ME NE	– – –	mōt mōt mote	mōton mōten –	mōste mōste must	– – –
OE ME NE	maʒan – –	mæʒ may may	maʒon mowen –	meahte/mihte mighte might	– – –
OE ME NE	– – –	ʒeneah enough enough	ʒ enuʒon – –	ʒenohte – –	– – –