may be stated that i short, in the twelfth class, precedes either a liquid or a mute of series k.

From these observations, even on the English forms only, we find thus much regularity; and from these observations, even on the English forms only, we may lay down a rule like the following: viz. that i or u, short, before the consonants m, n, or ck, is changed into a for the singular, and into u for the plural forms; that i long, or diphthongal, becomes ou; that e before 7 becomes o; and that u before r remains unchanged.

This statement, however, is nothing like so general as the one that, after a comparison of the older forms and the allied languages, we are enabled to make. Here we are taught—

1. That in the words bind, &c., the i was once pronounced as in till, fill; in other words, that it was the simple short vowel, and not the diphthong ey; or at least that it was treated as

When the vowel of the present took the sound of the i in bite, the й in the præterite became the ou in mouse. From this we see that the words bind, &c., are naturally subject to the same changes with spin, &c., and that, mutatis mutandis, they are so still.

2. That the e in swell, &c., was once . This we collect from the following forms :-hilpa, Moso-Gothic; hilfu, Old HighGerman; hilpu, Old Saxon; hilpe, Middle High-German; hilpe, Old Frisian. Suillu = swell, Old High-German. Tilfu

= delve, Old High-German; dilbu, Old Saxon. Smilzu, Old High-German smelt or melt. This shows that originally the vowel i ran throughout, but that before 7 and r it was changed into e. This change took place at different periods in different dialects. The Old Saxon preserved the i longer than the AngloSaxon. It is found even in the Middle High-German; in the New it has become e, as schwelle, schmelze. In one word, milk, the original i is still preserved; although in Anglo-Saxon it was e; as melce, mealc milked, mulcon. In the Norse the change from i to e took place full soon, as svëll Norse language is in this respect important.

swells. The

3. That the o in swoll, holp, was originally a; as

4. That a change between a and o took place betimes. The Anglo-Saxon præterite of swelle is sweoll; whilst ongon, bond, song, gelomp, are found in the same language for ongan, band, sang, gelamp.-RASK's Anglo-Saxon Grammar, p. 90.

5. That run is only an apparent exception, the older form being rinn.

urnon.

The rain rinns down through Merriland town;

So doth it down the Pa.-Old Ballad.

The Anglo-Saxon form is yrnan; in the præterite, arn, A transposition has since taken place. The word run seems to have been originally no present, but a præterite form.

6. That burst is only an apparent exception. Before r, ě, ì, й, are pronounced alike. We draw no distinction between the

vowels in pert, flirt, hurt. The Anglo-Saxon forms are; berste, byrst, bærse, burston, borsten.

Thirteenth Class.

Contains the single word choose, in the præterite chose; in Anglo-Saxon, ceóse, ceás.

Attention is directed to the following list of verbs. In the present English they all form the præterite in -d or -t; in Anglo-Saxon, they all formed it by a change of the vowel. In other words, they are weak verbs that were once strong.

This list will be referred to in the chapter on Conjugation.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

ON THE WORDS DID (PROPERLY USED) AND HIGHT.

§ 417. Did.-Did from do facio, is a strong verb. This we infer from the form of its participle done.

If so, the final -d is not the same as the -d in moved. What is it? There are good grounds for believing that in the word did we have a single instance of the old reduplicate præterite. If so, it is the latter d which is radical, and the former which is inflectional.

§ 418. Hight. The following couplet from Dryden's Mac Flecnoe exhibits both a form and a construction which require explanation :

An ancient fabric, raised t' inform the sight,

There stood of yore, and Barbican it hight.

Here the word hight was called, and seems to present an instance of the participle being used in a passive sense without the so-called verb substantive. Yet it does no such thing. The word is no participle at all; but a simple præterite. Certain verbs are naturally either passive or active, as one of two allied meanings may predominate. To be called is passive; so is, to be beaten. But, to bear as a name is active; so is, to take a beating. The word hight is of the same class of verbs with the Latin vapulo; and it is the same as the Latin word, cluo.-Barbican cluit = Barbican audivit = Barbican it hight.

So much for the question as to the construction, which is properly a point of Syntax rather than Etymology.

In respect to the form, it must be observed that the t is no