The Syntactic Evolution of Modal Verbs in the History of English

5. Morphology of the preterite presents

5.1. Old English

WITAN ``know, understand´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	wat	wiste	–	wite	wite
2	wast	wiste	–	wite	wite
3	wat	wiste	–	wite	wite
Pl	witon	wiston	–	witen	witen

Present participle: witende, past participle : (ge)-witen, infinitive : witan.

AGAN ``owe´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	ah	ahte	–	age	–
2	ahst	ahte	age	age	–
3	ah	ahte	–	age	–
Pl	agon	ahton	–	agen	–

Past participle: ægen, infinitive: agan.

*DUGAN ``avail, be worth´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	–	–	–	duge	–
2	–	–	–	duge	–
3	deah	dohte	–	duge	–
Pl	dugon	–	–	–	–

Present participle: dugende.

UNNAN ``grant´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	an	uðe	–	unne	–
2	–	uðe	unne	unne	–
3	an	uðe	–	unne	–
Pl	unnon	uðon	–	–	–

Present participle: unnende, past participle: (ge)-unnen, infinitive: unnan.

CUNNAN ``know, can´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	can	cuðe	–	cunne	cunne
2	canst	cuðe	–	cunne	cunne
3	can	cuðe	–	cunne	cunne
Pl	cunnon	cuðon	–	cunnen	cunnen

Past participle: cunnen, infinitive: cunnan.

ÐURFAN ``need, be required´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	tearf	ðorfte	–	ðurfe	–
2	tearft	ðorfte	–	ðurfe	–
3	tearf	ðorfte	–	ðurfe	–
Pl	turfon	ðorfton	–	ðurfen	–

Present participle: ðurfende, infinitive: ðurfan.

*DURRAN ``dare´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	dear	dorste	–	durre	–
2	dearst	dorste	–	durre	–
3	dear	dorste	–	durre	–
Pl	durron	dorston	–	–	–

MUNAN ``remember´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	man	munde	–	mune	–
2	manst	munde	mune	mune	–
3	man	munde	–	mune	–
Pl	munon	–	munat	–	–

Present participle: munende, past participle: (ge)-munen, infinitive: munan.

*SCULAN ``be obliged, must, ought to´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	sceal	sceolde	–	scule	scule
2	scealt	sceolde	–	scule	scule
3	sceal	sceolde	–	scule	scule
Pl	sculon	sceoldon	–	sculen	sculen

*MOTAN ``be allowed, be able to, must´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	mot	moste	–	mote	–
2	most	moste	–	mote	–
3	mot	moste	–	mote	–
Pl	moton	moston	–	moten	–

MAGAN ``be able to, have permission´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	mæg	mihte	–	mæge	mæge
2	meaht	mihte	–	mæge	mæge
3	mæg	mihte	–	mæge	mæge
Pl	magon	mihton	–	mægen	mægen

Present participle: magende, infinitive: magan.

WILLAN ``be willing, desire´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	wille	wolde	–	wille	–
2	wilt	woldest	–	wille	–
3	wille	wolde	–	wille	–
Pl	willað	woldon	–	willen	–

Present participle: willende, infinitive: witan.

**Table 1.** OE forms of modal verbs
	PRES.	IMPER.	PAST.	SUBJ.	PAST.SB.	INF.	PRES.PART.	PAST PART.
WITAN	+	–	+	+	+	+	+	+
AGAN	+	SG	+	SG	–	+	–	+
*DUGAN	SG 3, PL	–	SG 3	SG	–	–	+	+
UNNAN	1, 3, PL	–	+	SG	–	+	+	+
CUNNAN	+	–	+	+	+	+	–	+
ÐURFAN	+	–	+	+	–	+	+	–
*DURRAN	+	–	+	SG	–	–	–	–
MUNAN	+	+	+	SG	–	+	+	+
*SCULAN	+	–	+	+	+	–	–	–
*MOTAN	+	–	+	+	–	–	–	–
MAGAN	+	–	+	+	+	+	+	–
WILLAN	+	–	+	+	–	+	+	–
NIMAN	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
HABBAN	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+

5.2. Middle English

WITE(N) ``know, possess´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	wot	wiste	–	wite	–
2	wost	wiste	wite	wite	–
3	wot	wiste	–	wite	–
Pl	wite(n)	wisten	–	witen	–

Present participle: witende, past participle: wist, infinitive: wite(n).

OWEN ``own´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	owe	ahte	–	owe	–
2	owest	ahte	–	owe	–
3	owe(þ)	ahte	–	owe	–
Pl	owe(n)	ahten	–	(owen)	–

Infinitive: owen.

DUGEN ``be worth, avail´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	dowe	–	–	–	–
2	–	–	–	–	–
3	dowe	douhte	–	–	–
Pl	dowen	–	–	–	–

Infinitive: dugen.

UNNAN ``grant´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	an	uðe	–	unne	–
2	–	uðe	unne	unne	–
3	an	uðe	–	unne	–

Present participle: unnende, past participle: (ge)-unnen, infinitive: unnan.

CUNNE(N) ``can, know´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	can	cuðe	–	(cunne)	–
2	canst	cuðe(st)	–	cunne	–
3	can	cuðe	–	(cunne)	–
Pl	cunnen	(cuðen)	–	(cunnen)	–

Past particple: cuþ, infinitive: cunne(n).

ÞURFEN ``need´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	þarf	ðorfte	–	ðurve	–
2	þarf(t)	ðorfte	–	ðurve	–
3	þarf	ðorfte	–	ðurve	–
Pl	ðurfon	(ðorfton)	–	(ðurfen)	–

Present participle: ðurfende, infinitive: ðurfan.

DURRE(N) ``dare´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	dar	durste	–	durre	–
2	darst	durste	–	durre	–
3	dar	durste	–	durre	–
Pl	dar	(dursten)	–	–	–

Infinitive: durren.

MON ``remember´´ (only in the North dialect)

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	mon	monde	–	mune	–
2	mon	monde	–	mune	–
3	mon	monde	–	mune	–
Pl	mon	–	–	–	–

SHAL ``shall´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	shal	sholde	–	shule	–
2	shalt	sholde(st)	–	shule	–
3	shal	sholde	–	shule	–
Pl	shule(n)	sholden	–	(shulen)	–

MOT ``must, may´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	mot	moste	–	mote	–
2	most	moste	–	mote	–
3	mot	moste	–	mote	–
Pl	mote(n)	(mosten)	–	(moten)	–

MOWE ``be able´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	mai	might(e)	–	mowe	–
2	miht	might(est)	–	mowe	–
3	mai	might(e)	–	mowe	–
Pl	mugen	might(en)	–	(mowen)	–

WIL(LE) ``will´´

	Present	Past	Imperative	Subjonctive	Past Subjonctive
Sg 1	wil	wolde	–	wille	–
2	wilt	woldest	–	wille	–
3	wil	wolde	–	wille	–
Pl	wilen	(wolden)	–	(willen)	–

Past participle: wold.

**Table 2.** ME forms of modal verbs
	PRES.	IMPER.	PAST	SUBJ.	PAST SUBJ.	INF.	PRES.PART.	PAST PART.
WITEN	+	SG 2	+	+	–	+	+	+
OWEN	+	–	+	+	–	+	–	–
DUGEN	SG 3, PL	–	SG 3	–	–	+	–	–
CUNNEN	+	–	+	+	–	+	–	+
ÐURFEN	+	–	+	+	–	+	–	+
DURREN	+	–	+	SG	–	+	–	–
MON	+	–	SG	SG	–	–	–	–
SHAL	+	–	+	+	–	–	–	–
MOT	+	–	+	+	–	–	–	–
MOWE	+	–	+	+	–	–	–	–
WIL	+	–	+	+	–	–	–	+

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