Old English grammar tables
Nouns[]
Strong[]
Singular (anfeald)[]
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
stan |
lar giefu |
hus scip |
Acc. |
stan |
lare giefe |
hus scip |
Gen. |
stanes |
lare giefe |
huses scipes |
Dat. |
stane |
lare giefe |
huse scipe |
Plural (manigfeald)[]
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
stanas |
lara / lare giefa / giefe |
hus scipu |
Acc. |
stanas |
lara / lare giefa / giefe |
hus scipu |
Gen. |
stana |
lara / larena giefa / giefena |
husa scipa |
Dat. |
stanum |
larum giefum |
husum scipum |
Weak[]
Singular (anfeald)[]
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
nama |
sunne |
eage |
Acc. |
naman |
sunnan |
eagan |
Gen. |
naman |
sunnan |
eagan |
Dat. |
naman |
sunnan |
eagan |
Plural (manigfeald)[]
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
naman |
sunnan |
eagan |
Acc. |
naman |
sunnan |
eagan |
Gen. |
namena |
sunnena |
eagena |
Dat. |
namum |
sunnum |
eagum |
There are many masculine and feminine nouns in this "weak" class, encompasing essentially any masculine noun ending "-a" (boda, cnapa, flota, mona, oxa, steorra and many more) and feminine nouns ending "-e" (cirice, hlæfdige, tunge, wise and so forth). Interestingly, that means eorþe, mona, sunne and steorra are all weak nouns.
Masculine weak nouns ending "-o" are leo, tweo.
There are just neuter nouns known in this class: eage, eare.
Minor Declensions[]
(See Minor noun declensions)
Adjectives[]
Each adjective has two declensions, depending on whether the noun is definite or indefinite:
- Strong:
- micel scip (a big ship)
- miclu scipu (big ships)
- feower miclu scipu (four big ships)
- Weak:
- For example:
- þæt micle scip (the big ship)
- þa miclan scipu (these big ships)
- urum miclan scipu (our big ships)
In poetry, the weak form appears where such a pronoun is implied, for example in Deor:
- swoncre [strong] seonobende on syllan [weak] monn ("supple sinew-bonds on [the] better man")
Strong (indefinite)[]
Used where MnE would have "a" or "an", and generally in any case which is not weak (see below)
There are two principal forms, one of which has a "u" in the feminine nom. singular and the neuter nom./acc. plural, and the other which does not. Generally the "u" form is with single, short vowels and the non-"u" form with diphthongs and long vowels, and adjectives ending in "e" or "u". Adjectives ending "lic" and "sum" have the "u" form.
Singular (anfeald)[]
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
cwic god |
cwicu god |
cwic god |
Acc. |
cwicne godne |
cwice gode |
cwic god |
Gen. |
cwices godes |
cwicre godre |
cwices godes |
Dat. |
cwicum godum |
cwicre godre |
cwicum godum |
Plural (manigfeald)[]
The dative and genitive plurals do not change with gender, and are the same as the weak forms (see below).
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
cwice gode |
cwica goda |
cwicu god |
Acc. |
cwice gode |
cwica goda |
cwicu god |
Gen. |
cwicra godra |
cwicra godra |
cwicra godra |
Dat. |
cwicum godum |
cwicum godum |
cwicum godum |
Weak (definite)[]
Used with "se" (etc), "þes" (etc), "min" and other possessives and certain other situations.
Singular (anfeald)[]
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
cwica goda |
cwice gode |
cwice gode |
Acc. |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
cwice gode |
Gen. |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
Dat. |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
cwicum godum |
Plural (manigfeald)[]
The plurals do not change with gender. The dative and genitive plurals are the same as the strong forms (see above).
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nom. |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
Acc. |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
cwican godan |
Gen. |
cwicra godra |
cwicra godra |
cwicra godra |
Dat. |
cwicum godum |
cwicum godum |
cwicum godum |
Demonstrative pronouns[]
That[]
Masc | Fem | Neut | |
Singular | |||
Nom | se | seo | þæt |
Acc | þone | þa | þæt |
Gen | þæs | þære | þæs |
Dat | þæm | þære | þæm |
Inst | þy | þære | þy |
Plural | |||
Nom | þa | ||
Acc | þa | ||
Gen | þara | ||
Dat | þæm |
This[]
. | Masc | Fem | Neut |
. | Singular | ||
Nom | þes | þeos | þis |
Acc | þisne | þas | þis |
Gen | þisses | þisse / þisre | þisses |
Dat | þissum | þisse / þisre | þissum |
Inst | þys | þisse | þys |
. | Plural | ||
Nom | þas | ||
Acc | þas | ||
Gen | þissa / þisra | ||
Dat | þissum |
What / Who[]
. | Masc | Fem | Neut |
Nom | hwa | hwa | hwæt |
Acc | hwone | hwa | hwæt |
Gen | hwæs | hwæs | hwæs |
Dat | hwæm | hwæm | hwæm |
Inst | x | x | hwy / hwon |
Pronouns[]
Singular[]
1st | 2nd | 3rd | |||
Nom |
ic | þu | he | heo | hit |
Acc |
mec / me | þec / þe | hine | hie | hit |
Gen |
min | þin | his | hiere | his |
Dat |
me | þe | him | hiere | him |
Dual[]
1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
Nom | wit | git | — |
Acc | unc / uncet | inc / incet | — |
Gen | uncer | incer | — |
Dat | unc | inc | — |
Plural[]
1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
Nom | we | ge | hie |
Acc | us | eow | hie |
Gen | ure | eower | hiera |
Dat | us | eow | him |
Min / Þin[]
Decline like strong adjectives
Singular[]
Masc | Fem | Neut | |
Nom | min þin |
min þin |
min þin |
Acc | minne þinne |
mine þine |
min þin |
Gen | mines þines |
mine þine |
mines þines |
Dat | minum þinum |
minre þinre |
minum þinum |
Plural[]
(Also with dual)
Masc | Fem | Neut | |
Nom | mine þine |
mina þina |
min þin |
Acc | mine þine |
mina þina |
min þin |
Gen | minra þinra |
minra þinra |
minra þinra |
Dat | minum þinum |
minum þinum |
minum þinum |
Prepositions (foresetnessa)[]
- (See Prepositions.)
A preposition is followed by a noun either in the accusative or the dative. As in German, some prepositions always have the accusative or always the dative. Others have:
- the accusative where motion is implied
- the dative otherwise
- For example in and ofer take the dative when they mean "in" and "above" but the accusative when they mean "into" and "over" (with motion).
A few can take the genitive in a specific circumstance.
Which preposition takes which case is not always the same in Englisc as in German. They are:
Accusative | Accusative or dative | Dative | Genitive (and circs) |
---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Numbers[]
(See Numbers.)
Verbs[]
Weak verbs[]
(See also Weak verbs)
Present tense[]
Hieran; 'to hear'
|
|
Present participle[]
- hierende
Past tense ('preterite')[]
|
|
Past participle[]
- gehiered
Present tense[]
Hælan; 'to heal'
|
|
Present participle[]
- hælende
Past tense ('preterite')[]
|
|
Past participle[]
- gehæled
Strong verbs[]
See Strong verbs
Modal Auxiliary verbs - cunnan[]
For more detail and forms, see: Modal auxiliary verbs
Present tense[]
cunnan; 'to know' ('can')
|
|
Present participle[]
- cunnende
Past tense ('preterite')[]
|
|
Past participle[]
- *gecunnon (not recorded)
[]
Special verbs: Hatan[]
See Special verbs
Hatan has several meanings. As a regular verb it means "to command" or "to vow" or "to call by a name". There is also a 'preterite-present' version of the verb meaning "to be named".
Hatan regular[]
(To call or command or vow)
Present[]
|
|
Past tense ('preterite')[]
|
|
Past participle[]
- gehaten
Hatan preterite-present[]
(To be called) In this version, the present tense and past tense (preterite) are the same.
Present[]
|
|
Preterite[]
|
|
Past participle[]
- -