4.1.7. - VII class
The seventh class includes strong verbs, which in Proto-Germanic (and also in Gothic) formed their past tense forms by means of the reduplication of the verbal stem (cf Goth háitan [ʹhaɪtan] (to call, name) and haíháit [ʹhɛhaɪt] (he/she called, named)).
In Anglo-Saxon, the traces of the reduplication are retained only by p tense forms of some verbs; e.g. héht p of v hátan (to call, name; to order); léolc p of v lácan (to play; to jump); réord p of v rǽdan (to advise, counsel); ondreord p of v ondrǽdan (to dread, fear); léort (← *leolt) p of v lǽtan (to let, allow; to leave).
In the seventh class of the Anglo-Saxon strong verbs, their two main versions can be distinguished: the one with -é- in both stems of p tense; and another one with -éo- in both stems of p tense.
In addition, the seventh class includes verbs (fón, hón – vid below), which are characterized by the vowel contraction as a result of the dropping of the consonant h and by consonant change in accordance with Verner’s law.
VII class | infinitive | past tense singular | past tense plural | past participle |
to call, name | hátan | héht, hét | héhton, héton | háten |
to fall (down) | feallan | féol, féoll | féollon | feallen |
to grasp, seize | fón | fénȝ | fénȝon | fanȝen, fonȝen |
to hang, suspend | hón | hénȝ | hénȝon | hanȝen, honȝen |