The Verb System

• Apophanous Verbs
• Changes due to Flexions, -0, -s, -t.
• Palatalized Stems
• The Present Subjunctive
• Common Irregular Verbs

• The Preterite
  • Weak Verbs
  • Strong Verbs
• The Imperfect Indicative
• The Imperfect Subjunctive
• Past Participles

The Infinitive

• I CANTARE > chanter
• Ia MANDUCARE > mangier
• II DEBERE > devoir
• III PERDERE > perdre
• IV DORMIRE > dormir

Many infinitives shifted categories in OF:
manoir, maindre
veoir, veïr
rompre, rompir
reçoivre, recevoir

The Present tense

In OF, the four infinitive types are preserved, but the conjugational classes are reduced to -er, -ir, and -oir, -re and other -ir verbs that come from Latin conj II, III, and IV:

Apophanous Verbs

In the first, second and fourth conjugations in Latin, the stress shifts fromt the stem (in persons 1, 2, 3, 6) to the ending (in persons 4 and 5). Vowels in stressed syllables (particularly open stressed syllables) often evelve differently from vowels i n unstressed syllables. This accounts for stem changing (or apophanous) verbs in the modern Romance languages.

Compare:

and...

The same shifting stress pattern is found in the present subjunctive:

Strong stem = stress falls on the stem: aim- (variant ain-)
Weak stem = stress falls on the ending: am

The result is the characteristic shoe pattern in the present indicative and subjunctive, with the strong stem being found in persons 1, 2, 4, 6 and the weak stem in persons 4 and 5.

In the apophanous verbs, the weak stem will be found throughout the other tenses:

Infinitve:	amer
Future:	amerai
Imperfect:	amois
Conditional:	amerois
Preterite:	amai
Imperfect Subj:	amasse
Past participle:	amé
Pres. participle:	amant

The most common oppositions are:

	Strong stem (3rd pers. sg.)	Weak stem (1st pers. pl)	Infinitive
e/a	set	savon(s)	saveir > savoir
a/e	achate	achetons	acheter
ai/e	fait (fet)	fesons	faire
aim/am	aime	amons	amer
ain/an	plaint	plagnons	plaindre
ein/en	meine (moine)	menons	mener
ie/e	lieve	levons	lever
	quiert	querons	querre
ie/a	--	chaleir > chaloir
ien (iem)/en (em)	vient	venons	venir
i/ei > oi	ist	eissons > oissons	eissir > oissir (issir)
ue/o > ou	puet	poons > pouons	pooir > pouoir

Changes to Present Tense Stems due to Flexions -0, -s, and -t. 1. Unvoicing of final consonants:

je vif	nos vivons
je boif	nos bevons
je serf	nos servons
je reçoif	nos recevons

2. Final dentals -t, -d + -s > /ts/ written -z:

tu renz	vos rendez
tu parz	vos partez
tu torz	vos tordez
tu chanz	vos chantez

Final -rn + -t > -rt; final -rn + s > -rz:

tu goverz	vos governez
il govert	ils governent
tu torz	vos tornez
il tort	ils tornent

3. Loss of labial consonants (p, b, m, f, v) when followed by -s or -t:

tu sers	vos servez
il sert	ils servent
tu dors	vos dormez
il dort	ils dorment

4. Assimilation of -m- to -n- when followed by -s or -t

tu rons	vos rompez
il ront	ils rompent
tu criens	vos cremez
il crient	ils criement

5. Vocalization of -l > -u when followed by a consonant

valoir	vals > vaus
	valt > vaut
apeler	apels > apeaus (subj)
	apelt > apeaut

Palatalized Stems Special Stems will develop in the environment of an i or an e in hiatus with another vowel.
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR INDICATIVE:
A number of verbs will have a palatalized stem in the first person singular, i.e. a term ending in /ts/ (written -z) in a palatal l (written -il in a palatal n (written -ng or gn) or with a diphthong with -i. These develop from Latin first-person sinula r forms with an ending of -eo or -io. Other verbs which did not have a first-person singular ending -io or -eo in Classical Latin adopted this ending in spoken Latin by analogy.

AUDIO >	oi	oïr
*DONEO >	doing. doign	doner
FACIO >	faz	faire
HABEO >	ai	avoir

The Present Subjunctive

In Latin, the subjunctive of the -are verbs is characterized by the thematic vowel -e. Given the general rule of loss of final unstressed vowels other than -a, the result is a paradigm with no characteristic vowel in the singular.

Note: unlike in MF there is a clear distinction between the indicative and subjunctive in the singular: 0, -es, -e vs. 0, -s, -t. On the other hand, there is no distinction indicative-subjunctive in persons 4 and 5 (-ons and ez).

Latin verbs of class II, III, and IV have identical endings based on the thematic vowel -a which will be retained in OF as -e.

Common Irregular Verbs The following includes only those verb forms where there is a marked difference between the OF and MF paradigm. For more complete information on Irregular verbs, see Raynaud de Lage pp. 137-53 or Einhorn pp 1 48-67.

Aidier

Indicative		Subjunctive
j'aiu/j'aï	nos aidons	j'aiu/j'aï	nos aidons
tu aiues/aïes	vos aidiez	tu aiuz/aïz	vos aidiez
il aiue/aïe	ils aiuent/aïent/aïdent	il aiut/aït	ils aiuent/aïent/aïdent

Boivre

Indicative		Subjunctive
je boif	nos bevons	je boive	nos bevons
tu bois	vos bevez	tu boives	vos bevez
il boit	ils boivent	il boive	ils boivent

Criembre/cremir/craindre

Indicative		Subjunctive
je criem	nos cremons	je crieme	nos cremons
tu criens	vos cremez	tu criemes	vos cremez
il crient	ils criement	il crieme	ils criement

Doner

Indicative		Subjunctive
je doing	nos donons	je doigne/doinse/donge	nos donons
tu doinses	vos donez	tu doinses	vos donez
il doint	ils donent	il doinst	ils donent

Eissir/ Issir

Indicative		Subjunctive
jo is	nos eissons/issons	je isse	nos eissiens/issiens
tu is	vos eissez/issez	tu isses	vos eissiez/issiez
il ist	ils issent	il isse	ils issent

Faire

Indicative		Subjunctive
je faz	nos faimes/fesons	je face	nos façons
tu fais/fes	vos faites	tu faces	vos façiez
il fait/fet	ils font	il face	ils facent

Gesir

Indicative		Subjunctive
je gis	nos gisons	je gise	nos gisons
tu gis	vos gisez	tu gises	vos gisiez
il gist	ils gisent	il gise	ils gisent

Morir

Indicative		Subjunctive
je muir	nos morons	je muire	nos morons
tu muers	vos morez	tu muires	vos morez
il muert	ils muerent	il muire	ils muirent

Peser

Indicative		Subjunctive
je peis > pois	nos pesons	je peis > pois	nos pesons
tu peises > poises	vos pesez	tu peis > pois	vos pesez
il peise > poise	ils peisent > poisent	il peist > poist	ils peisent > poisent

Savoir

Indicative		Subjunctive
je sai	nos savons	je sache	nos sachons
tu ses	vos savez	tu saches	vos sachez
il set	ils sevent	il sache	ils sachent

Tenir

Indicative		Subjunctive
je tieng (teign)	nos tenons	je tienge	nos tenons
tu tiens	vos tenez	tu tienes	vos tenez
il tient/ tint	ils tienent	il tiente	ils tienent

Valoir

Indicative		Subjunctive
je vail	nos valons	je vaille	nos valons
tu vals > vaus	vos valez	tu vailles	vos valez
il valt > vaut	ils valent	il vaille	ils vaillent