Ic for fram Fæder and com on middaneard.

Þa gesohton hie hine and him þæt wundor sægdon.

Þa þæt se ealdormon hierde, þa adrencte he hiene selfne.

His discipuli woldon eac þæt folc fedan: ac hi næfdon mid hwam.

Hwæt secge ge þæt ic sy?

[Ic] for {fram Fæder} and com {on middaneard}.

{Þa} gesohton [hie] <hine> and (him) <þæt wundor> sægdon.

Þa <þæt> [se ealdormon] hierde, {þa} adrencte [he] <hiene selfne>.

[His discipuli] woldon {eac} <þæt folc> fedan: ac [hi] næfdon {mid hwam}.

<Hwæt> secge [ge] þæt [ic] sy?

Consonant Stems

m/f	singular	plural	singular	plural
Nom.	mann	menn	bōc	bēc
Acc.	mann	menn	bōc	bēc
Gen.	mannes	manna	bēc	bōca
Dat.	menn	mannum	bēc	bōcum

Auxiliary Verbs

In a clause with two verbs, the auxiliary is the finite verb, which governs an infinitive or past participle. In PDE, it is also the first verb in the verb phrase.

I have eaten.

We will see.

I hear that he was beaten.

Ich habe gegessen.

Wir werden sehen.

Ich habe gehört, dass er geschlagen wurde.

Modal Auxiliaries

Express “modality”, i.e. degrees of (un)certainty, permission, or obligation. The tenses have developed to express further degrees of (un)certainty.

I can dance.

I could dance.

I will visit.

I would love to visit.

She may succeed.

She might succeed.

Modal Auxiliaries

MnE “present”	MnE “past”	OE origin	OE preterite
can	could	cunnan	cuðe
may	might	magan	mihte
must	——	mōtan	mōste
shall	should	sculan	scolde
will	would	willan	wolde

• OE Preterites also used to express greater uncertainty;
• Also used as lexical verbs (esp. cunnan, willan)
  (Cf. “God wills it”, “we must away”);
• Sense may differ from that of the modern reflex.

Modal Auxiliaries

cunnan	know how to; be able, can; as independent verb: know, be familiar with
magan	be able (cf. cunnan); be allowed (cf. mōtan)
mōtan	be allowed to, may
sculan	obligation or necessity (must, ought); authoritative expectation (shall); reported claims (is supposed to)
willan	want, wish less commonly pure futurity (will, shall)

In OE, most modal auxiliaries are preterite-present verbs. This means they were once strong verbs, whose preterite forms came to be used for the present tense; new, weak preterite forms developed to express past action.

Hē mōt vs Hē fōr

Hē sceal vs Hē crēap

Modal Auxiliaries

cunnan	ic can, þū canst, hē can, wē cunnon ic cūðe, þū cūðest, hē cūðe, wē cūðon
magan	ic mæg, þū meaht, hē mæg, wē magon ic mihte, þū mihtest, hē mihte, wē mihton
mōtan	ic mōt, þū mōst, hē mōt, wē mōton ic mōste, þū mōstest, hē mōste, wē mōston
sculan	ic sceal, þū scealt, hē sceal, wē sculon ic sceolde, þū sceoldest, hē sceolde, wē sceoldon
willan	ic wille, þū wilt, hē wile, wē willað ic wolde, þū woldest, hē wolde, wē woldon

Modal Auxiliaries

Of ǣlcum trēowe ðises orcerdes ðū mōst etan.

Hēo ne mihte þæt cild gehȳran.

Nān man hine ne cūðe gecnāwan.

Ǣlc cristen man sceal pater noster cunnan.

Wē willaþ ūs tō scype gangan.

Þū scealt grēot etan þīne līfdagas.

Ne mihtest ðū āne tīde wacian?

Lof sceolde hē drihtnes wyrcean.

Hwȳ ne meaht þū hit ongītan?

Ðū geherdest reccan þætte Iōb sceolde bīon se hēhsta god.

Modal Auxiliaries

{Of ǣlcum trēowe ðises orcerdes} [ðū] mōst etan.

[Hēo] ne mihte <þæt cild> gehȳran.

[Nān man] <hine> ne cūðe gecnāwan.

[Ǣlc cristen man] sceal <pater noster> cunnan.

[Wē] willaþ <ūs> {tō scype} gangan.

[Þū] scealt <grēot> etan <þīne līfdagas>.

Ne mihtest [ðū] {āne tīde} wacian?

<Lof> sceolde [hē] <drihtnes> wyrcean.

{Hwȳ} ne meaht [þū] <hit> ongītan?

[Ðū] geherdest reccan þætte [Iōb] sceolde bīon [se hēhsta god].