In article ,
Einde O'Callaghan   wrote:
> According to some studies 25% of verbs in Old English (Anglo-Saxon)
> were irregular whereas now only 3% are.

Something that I have often been curious about is the history of
"go" and "wend".

It is obvious that "went", being the imperfect of "go", was originally
the imperfect of "wend" (and I guess still is). But for the perfect,
"go" uses its own past participle "gone".

I am wondering if there ever was an imperfect of "go" derived from its
own stem, and also what the past participle of "wend" would be.

Cheers
Tony
-- 
Tony Mountifield
Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org

"Tony Mountifield"  wrote in message
news:g6s6ee$gt3$1@softins.clara.co.uk...
> In article ,
> Einde O'Callaghan   wrote:
>> According to some studies 25% of verbs in Old English
>> (Anglo-Saxon)
>> were irregular whereas now only 3% are.
>
> Something that I have often been curious about is the history of
> "go" and "wend".
>
> It is obvious that "went", being the imperfect of "go", was
> originally
> the imperfect of "wend" (and I guess still is). But for the
> perfect,
> "go" uses its own past participle "gone".
>
> I am wondering if there ever was an imperfect of "go" derived from
> its
> own stem, and also what the past participle of "wend" would be.

'Go' is the Norse word (still current as gå or gaa in Norwegian,
Swedish and Danish). Its imperfect is 'gi(c)k', but I have never
seen it used in an English text. I can only imagine that 'wend'
(also current in Scandinavia, now normally meaning 'go back')
behaved like 'send'.
-- 
Noel

At 12:56:17 on Thu, 31 Jul 2008, Ildhund  wrote in 
<g6s995$o47$1@registered.motzarella.org>:

>I can only imagine that 'wend' (also current in Scandinavia, now 
>normally meaning 'go back') behaved like 'send'.

Would there not be a difference between "he went his way" and "he wended 
his way"?  I see the first as a simple act of leaving the place he was 
in, and the second as implying that the path he followed was less than 
straightforward.  In addition, I suspect that one can wend one's way 
*to* somewhere, not just *from*?
-- 
Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

In article <xl36Q4P77bkIFwva@molly.mockford>,
Molly Mockford   wrote:
> At 12:56:17 on Thu, 31 Jul 2008, Ildhund  wrote in 
> <g6s995$o47$1@registered.motzarella.org>:
> 
> >I can only imagine that 'wend' (also current in Scandinavia, now 
> >normally meaning 'go back') behaved like 'send'.
> 
> Would there not be a difference between "he went his way" and "he wended 
> his way"?  I see the first as a simple act of leaving the place he was 
> in, and the second as implying that the path he followed was less than 
> straightforward.

Yes, since "go" has appropriated "went" as its past tense, I guess we have
had to regularise the past tense of "wend" to "wended" in order to preserve
the distinction in meaning.

Does any dialect of English use anything like "goed" as the past of "go"?

> In addition, I suspect that one can wend one's way 
> *to* somewhere, not just *from*?

Indeed, particularly home.

Cheers
Tony
-- 
Tony Mountifield
Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:31:10 +0000 (UTC), tony@softins.clara.co.uk
(Tony Mountifield) wrote:

>Does any dialect of English use anything like "goed" as the past of "go"?

Geordie "ganned"? This seems to be from OE "gan" from which we get
"go" but other may know more.
-- 
Phil C.

"Tony Mountifield"  wrote in message 
news:g6slru$r31$1@softins.clara.co.uk...
> In article <xl36Q4P77bkIFwva@molly.mockford>,
> Molly Mockford   wrote:
>> At 12:56:17 on Thu, 31 Jul 2008, Ildhund  
>> wrote in <g6s995$o47$1@registered.motzarella.org>:
>>
>> >I can only imagine that 'wend' (also current in Scandinavia, now 
>> >normally meaning 'go back') behaved like 'send'.

I was a bit hasty with that 'go back' there - the meaning is pretty 
much the same as the English has been, probably closest to 'turn' 
but often meaning 'turn around'.

>> Would there not be a difference between "he went his way" and "he 
>> wended his way"?  I see the first as a simple act of leaving the 
>> place he was in, and the second as implying that the path he 
>> followed was less than straightforward.

> Yes, since "go" has appropriated "went" as its past tense, I guess 
> we have had to regularise the past tense of "wend" to "wended" in 
> order to preserve the distinction in meaning.

OED 1989 explains thus: "The original forms of the pa. tense and 
pple. are respectively /wende/ and /wended/, /wend/, but the forms 
/wente/, /went/ appear beside these from c1200, and latterly become 
the more usual; in the refl. and intr. senses /went/ finally 
replaced the older preterites belonging to /go/, and from c1500 is 
most naturally regarded as the pa. tense of that verb, while /wend/ 
was provided with the new form /wended/." It's probably worth noting 
that the Teutonic root also gave us 'wander' and 'wind', as in 
lowing herd, so the less-than-straightforward progression seems 
pretty well entrenched.
-- 
Noel

In article <g6sp4r$jro$1@registered.motzarella.org>,
Ildhund  wrote:
> "Tony Mountifield"  wrote in message 
> news:g6slru$r31$1@softins.clara.co.uk...
> 
> > Yes, since "go" has appropriated "went" as its past tense, I guess 
> > we have had to regularise the past tense of "wend" to "wended" in 
> > order to preserve the distinction in meaning.
> 
> OED 1989 explains thus: "The original forms of the pa. tense and 
> pple. are respectively /wende/ and /wended/, /wend/, but the forms 
> /wente/, /went/ appear beside these from c1200, and latterly become 
> the more usual; in the refl. and intr. senses /went/ finally 
> replaced the older preterites belonging to /go/, and from c1500 is 
> most naturally regarded as the pa. tense of that verb, while /wend/ 
> was provided with the new form /wended/." It's probably worth noting 
> that the Teutonic root also gave us 'wander' and 'wind', as in 
> lowing herd, so the less-than-straightforward progression seems 
> pretty well entrenched.

Interesting, thanks. I guess the only curiosity remaining in my mind
is what were "the older preterites belonging to /go/".

Cheers
Tony
-- 
Tony Mountifield
Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org

At 11:18:25 on Fri, 1 Aug 2008, Tony Mountifield 
 wrote in <g6ure1$ee2$1@softins.clara.co.uk>:

>Interesting, thanks. I guess the only curiosity remaining in my mind
>is what were "the older preterites belonging to /go/".

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(verb)> is interesting on this subject, 
and the section "Origin of eode" suggests that the OE preterite was 
_eode_ or _yode_, formed from _eo_, and that there could be a direct 
relation with the Latin _ire_.
-- 
Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

In article <sHgdoJonawkIFw+G@molly.mockford>,
Molly Mockford   wrote:
> At 11:18:25 on Fri, 1 Aug 2008, Tony Mountifield 
>  wrote in <g6ure1$ee2$1@softins.clara.co.uk>:
> 
> >Interesting, thanks. I guess the only curiosity remaining in my mind
> >is what were "the older preterites belonging to /go/".
> 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(verb)> is interesting on this subject, 
> and the section "Origin of eode" suggests that the OE preterite was 
> _eode_ or _yode_, formed from _eo_, and that there could be a direct 
> relation with the Latin _ire_.

Thanks, that article was an interesting read....

Cheers
Tony
-- 
Tony Mountifield
Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org