Verbs The Past Tenses From Latin to Old French

The Verb System: The Past Tenses

The Past Tenses

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

The Preterite (Passé simple)
Weak perfects:
(The ending receives the stress)

Chanter
CL	VL	OF	MF
CANTAVI	cantái	chantai	cantái
CANTAVISTI	cantásti	chantas	cantás
CANTAVIT	cantát	chanta(t)	cantá
CANTAVIMUS	cantámus	chantames	cantâmes
CANTAVISTIS	cantástis	chantastes	cantâtes
CANTAVERUNT	cantárunt	chanterent	cantárent

Dormir
CL	VL	OF	MF
DORMIVI	dormí	dormi	dormis
DORMIVISTI	dormísti	dormis	dormis
DORMIVIT	dormít	dormi(t)	dormit
DORMIVIMUS	dormímus	dormimes	dormimes
DORMIVISTIS	dormístis	dormistes	dormites
DORMIVERUNT	dormírunt	dormirent	dormirrent

Paroir
CL	VL	OF	MF
PARUI	parúi	parui	parus
PARUISTI	parústi	parus	parus
PARUIT	parút	paru(t)	parut
PARUIMUS	parúmus	parumes	parumes
PARUISTIS	paruústis	parustes	parutes
PARUERUNT	parúrunt	parurent	parurent

Strong Preterites in i with Vocalic Alternation:
(Stem receives the stress)

Voir
CL	VL	OF	MF
VIDI	vi	veïs	vi
VIDISTI	vedís		vis
VIDIT	vit		vit
VIDIMUS	vedímes	veïmes	vîmes
VIDISTIS	vedístes	veïstes	vïstes
VIDERUNT	vídrent	virent	virent

Mettre
CL	VL	OF	MF
MISI	mis	meïs	mis
MISISTI	mesis		mis
MISIT	mist		mit
MISIMUS	mesimes	meïmes	mîmes
MISISTIS	mesistes	meïstes	mïstes
MISERUNT	misdrent	mirent	mirent

Others:

dire: dis, desis, dist,...distrent

despire: despis, despesis, depist,...despistrent

escrivre: escris, escresis, escrist,...escristrent

faire: fis, fesis, fist,... firent

lire: lis, lesis, list,...listrent

quis: quis, quesis, quist,...quisdrent

Strong Preterite in i without vocalic alternation:

Conduire (all verbs in -uire)

conduis conduisimes

conduisis conduisistes

conduist conduistrent

Conduire (all verbs in -uire)
conduis	conduisimes
conduisis	conduisistes
conduist	conduistrent

Joindre

joins joinsimes

joinsis joinsistes

joinst joinstrent

Joindre
joins	joinsimes
joinsis	joinsistes
joinst	joinstrent

Conclure

conclus conclusimes

conclusis conclusistes

conclust conclustrent

Conclure
conclus	conclusimes
conclusis	conclusistes
conclust	conclustrent

Stong Perfects in o:

Avoir
CL	OF	MF
HABUI	oi	eus
HABUISTI	oüs > eüs	eus
HABUIT	out > ot	eut
HABUIMUS	oümes > eüs	eûmes
HABUISTIS	oüstes > eüstes	eûtes
HABUERUNT	ourent > orent	eurent

Pooir
CL	OF	MF
POTUI	poi	pus
POTUISTI	poüs > peüs	pus
POTUIT	put > pot	put
POTUIMUS	poümes > peüs	pûmes
POTUISTIS	poüstes > peüstes	pûtes
POTUERUNT	pourent > porent	purent

Strong Perfects in u:

Devoir
CL	OF	MF
DEBUI	dui	dus
DEBUISTI	deüs	dus
DEBUIT	dut	dut
DEBUIMUS	deüs	dûmes
DEBUISTIS	deüstes	dûtes
DEBUERUNT	durent	durent

ESTRE the only OF verb where stress consistently falls on the stem

CL	OF	MF
FUI	fui	fus
FUISTI	fus	fus
FUIT	fu(t)	fut
FUIMUS	fumes	fûmes
FUISTIS	fustes	fûtes
FUERUNT	furent	furent

The Imperfect Indicative Classical Latin

I	II/III	IV
-ABA	-EBA	-IBA
CANTABAM	TENEBAM	DORMIBAM
CANTABAS	TENEBAS	DORMIBAS
CANTABAT	TENEBAT	DORMIBAT
CANTABAMUS	TENEBAMUS	DORMIBAMUS
CANTABATIS	TENEBATIS	DORMIBATIS
CANTABANT	TENEBANT	DORMIBANT

Old French

chanteie > chantoie

chanteies > chantoies

chantei(e)t > chantoit

chantiiens > chantiens (-ions)

chantiiez > chantiez

chanteient chantoient

Regional forms of 1st conjuagational forms: (Anglo-Norman)

chantoue, chantoe

chantoues, chantoes

chantout, chantot

chantiiens, chantiens (-ions)

chantiiez, chantiez

chantouent chantoent

also<

chanteve

chanteves

chanteve

chantiens

chantiez

chantevent

ESSE*
CL	OF	MF
ERAM	ere, iere	*étais
ERAS	eres, ieres	étais
ERAT	ere, ert, eire, iert	était
ERAMUS	eriiens, erions	étions
ERATIS	eriiez, eriez	étiez
ERANT	erent, ierent	étaient

*Old forms gave way to new imperfect: esteie, etc...
The Imperfect Subjunctive

Latin Old French

CANTA(VI)SSEM chantasse

CANTA(VI)SSES chantasses

CANTA(VI)SSET chantast

CANTA(VI)SSEMUS chantisssons

CANTA(VI)SSETIS chantissez, iez, eiz

CANTA(VI)SSENT chantassent

DORMI(VI)SSEM dormisse

DORMI(VI)SSES dormisses

DORMI(VI)SSET dormist

DORMI(VI)SSEMUS dormisssons, iens

DORMI(VI)SSETIS dormissez, iez, eiz

DORMI(VI)SSENT dormissent

PARUI(VI)SSEM parusse

PARUI(VI)SSES parusses

PARUI(VI)SSET parust

PARUI(VI)SSEMUS parussons, iens

PARUI(VI)SSETIS parussez, iez, eiz

PARUI(VI)SSENT parussent

Note that all verbs which have strong perfects will use the weak stem of the verb to form the imperfect subjunctive.
poüsse, peüsse(peüst)

Avoir: oüsse, eüsse(eüst)

Conduire: conduisisse

Devoir: deüsse(deüst)

Joindre: joinsisse(joinsist)

Mettre: mesisse > meïsse(meïst)

Pouvoir:

Venir venisse

Voir: vedisse > veïsse (veïst)

Voloir: volsisse

Estre will retain the strong stem in the imperfect subunctive: fusse.

Past Participles
Latin:
Weak (arrizotonic) past participles:

I II IV

-ÁTUS -ÉTUS -ÍTUS

CANTATUS DELETUS AUDITUS

Strong (rhizotonic) past participles:

-ITUS e.g. PÉRDITUS (PÉRDERE)

-TUS FACTUS
DICTUS
SCRIPTUS

-SUS CLAUSUS
PREHENSUS
MISSUS

The -ITUS past participle is generally third conjugation, but not limited to it.
The -TUS and -SUS past participles can be found in conjugations II, III, and IV.
Early Changes:

Loss of the -ÉTUS ending.
Remodelling of -ITUS, (PÉRDITUS > PERDUTU)
Development of -UTU ending. Originally a strong past participle in a few verbs whose stem ended in -U.

CONSÚERE CONSÚTUM

HÁBITU -HABÚTU

VÁLITU VALÚTU

Many strong verbs, especially for verbs which had a perfect in -ui, joined the -utu group.
General reduction of strong past participles as a result of #2 and #3.

dire:	dis, desis, dist,...distrent
despire:	despis, despesis, depist,...despistrent
escrivre:	escris, escresis, escrist,...escristrent
faire:	fis, fesis, fist,... firent
lire:	lis, lesis, list,...listrent
quis:	quis, quesis, quist,...quisdrent

chanteie >	chantoie
chanteies >	chantoies
chantei(e)t >	chantoit
chantiiens >	chantiens (-ions)
chantiiez >	chantiez
chanteient	chantoient

chantoue, chantoe
chantoues, chantoes
chantout, chantot
chantiiens, chantiens (-ions)
chantiiez, chantiez
chantouent	chantoent

Latin	Old French
CANTA(VI)SSEM	chantasse
CANTA(VI)SSES	chantasses
CANTA(VI)SSET	chantast
CANTA(VI)SSEMUS	chantisssons
CANTA(VI)SSETIS	chantissez, iez, eiz
CANTA(VI)SSENT	chantassent

DORMI(VI)SSEM	dormisse
DORMI(VI)SSES	dormisses
DORMI(VI)SSET	dormist
DORMI(VI)SSEMUS	dormisssons, iens
DORMI(VI)SSETIS	dormissez, iez, eiz
DORMI(VI)SSENT	dormissent

PARUI(VI)SSEM	parusse
PARUI(VI)SSES	parusses
PARUI(VI)SSET	parust
PARUI(VI)SSEMUS	parussons, iens
PARUI(VI)SSETIS	parussez, iez, eiz
PARUI(VI)SSENT	parussent

Avoir:	oüsse, eüsse(eüst)
Conduire:	conduisisse
Devoir:	deüsse(deüst)
Joindre:	joinsisse(joinsist)
Mettre:	mesisse > meïsse(meïst)
Pouvoir:
Venir	venisse
Voir:	vedisse > veïsse (veïst)
Voloir:	volsisse
Estre will retain the strong stem in the imperfect subunctive: fusse.

-ITUS	e.g. PÉRDITUS (PÉRDERE)
-TUS	FACTUS DICTUS SCRIPTUS
-SUS	CLAUSUS PREHENSUS MISSUS