I. THE PRESENT SYSTEM.

I. THE PRESENT SYSTEM.

PRESENT INDICATIVE STEM.

I. PRIMITIVES.

(A.) ROOT VERBS.

828. A root without addition is used as the present stem, in the present tense or parts of the present tense, in root verbs (744-781): as,

#es-t#, _is_; #da-t#, _gives_; #inqui-t#, _quoth he_; #i-t#, _goes_; #nequi-t#, _can’t_; #ēs-t#, _eats_; #vol-t#, _will_; #fer-t#, _carries_. With reduplicated root (189): #bibi-t#, _drinks_; #seri-t#, _sows_; #sisti-t#, _sets_.

(B.) VERBS IN #-ere#.

829. (1.) The present stem of many verbs in #-ere# is formed by adding a variable vowel #{-o|e-}#, which appears in the first person singular active as #-ō#, to a root ending in a consonant or in two consonants: as,

PRESENT STEM. VERB. FROM THEME. reg{o|e-} regō, _guide_ +reg-+ vert{o|e-} vertō, _turn_ +vert-+

Other examples are: #tegō#, _cover_, #petō#, _make for_; #mergō#, _dip_, #serpō#, _creep_; #pendō#, _weigh_; #dīcō#, _say_, #fīdō#, _trust_, #scrībō#, _write_, with long #ī# for #ei# (98); #dūcō#, _lead_, with long #ū# for #eu#, #ou# (100); #lūdō#, _play_, with long #ū# for #oi#, #oe# (99); #laedō#, _hit_, #claudō#, _shut_; #rādō#, _scrape_, #cēdō#, _move along_, #fīgō#, _fix_, #rōdō#, _gnaw_, #glūbō#, _peel_. #*furō#, _rave_; #agō#, _drive_, #alō#, _nurture_. #gignō#, _beget_, (#gen-#, #gn-#), has reduplication, and #sīdō#, _settle_, _light_ (#sed-#, #sd-#), is also the result of an ancient reduplication (189).

830. In some present stems an original consonant has been modified: as, #gerō#, _carry_ (#ges-#), #ūrō#, _burn_ (154); #trahō#, _draw_ (#tragh-#), #vehō#, _cart_ (152); or has disappeared: as, #fluō#, _flow_ (#flūgu-#).

831. Some roots in a mute have a nasal before the mute in the present stem: as, #frangō#, _break_ (#frag-#). Other examples are: #iungō#, _join_, #linquō#, _leave_, #pangō#, _fix_, #pingō#, _paint_; #findō#, _cleave_, #fundō#, _pour_; #-cumbō#, _lie_, #lambō#, _lick_, #rumpō#, _break_ (164, 3). The nasal sometimes runs over into the perfect or perfect participle, or both.

832. (2.) The present stem of many verbs in #-ere# is formed by adding a suffix ending in a variable vowel #{-o|e-}#, which appears in the first person singular active as #-ō#, to a root: thus, #-nō#, #-scō#, #-tō#, #-iō#: as,

PRESENT STEM. VERB. FROM THEME. lin{o|e-} linō, _besmear_ +li-+ crēsc{o|e-} crēscō, _grow_ +crē-+ pect{o|e-} pectō, _comb_ +pec-+ capi{o|e-} capiō, _take_ +cap-+

833. (_a._) #-nō# is added to roots in a vowel, or in a continuous sound, #-m-#, #-r-#, or #-l-#.

So regularly #linō#, _besmear_, #sinō#, _let_; #temnō#, _scorn_, #cernō#, _sift_, #spernō#, _spurn_, only. The third persons plural #danunt# (Naev., Plaut.) for #dant#, #prōdīnunt#, #redīnunt# (Enn.) for #prōdeunt#, #redeunt# hardly belong here; their formation is obscure. In a few verbs, #-n# is assimilated (166, 6): as, #tollō#, _lift_. Sometimes the doubled #l# runs into the perfect (855): as, #vellī#, #fefellī#. #minuō#, _lessen_, and #sternuō#, _sneeze_, have a longer suffix #-nu{o|e-}#.

834. (_b._) #-scō#, usually meaning ‘_begin to_,’ forms presents called _Inceptives_ or _Inchoatives_.

#-scō# is attached: first, to roots: as, #nāscor#, _am born_, #nōscō#, _learn_, #pāscō#, _feed_, #scīscō#, _resolve_; consonant roots have #ī#, less commonly #ē#, before the suffix: as, #tremīscō# or #tremēscō#, _fall a-trembling_, #nancīscor#, _get_ (831); but #discō#, _learn_ (170, 1), and #poscō#, _demand_ (170, 10), are shortened; see 168. Secondly, to a form of the present stem of denominative verbs, especially of those in #-ēre#: as, #clārēscō#, _brighten_; the stem is often assumed only, as in #inveterāscō#, _grow old_, #mātūrēscō#, _get ripe_. Many inceptives are used only in composition: as, #extimēscō#, _get scared_, #obdormīscō#, _drop asleep_.

835. (_c._) #-tō# occurs in the following presents from guttural roots: #flectō#, _turn_, #nectō#, _string_, #pectō#, _comb_, #plector#, _am struck_, #amplector#, _hug_, #complector#, _clasp_. From a lingual root #vid-#, comes #vīsō#, _go to see_, _call on_ (153). From vowel roots: #bētō# or #bītō#, _go_, and #metō#, _mow_.

836. (_d._) #-iō# is usually added to consonant roots with a short vowel; the following have presents formed by this suffix:

#capiō#, _take_, #cupiō#, _want_, #faciō#, _make_, #fodiō#, _dig_, #fugiō#, _run away_, #iaciō#, _throw_, #pariō#, _bring forth_, #quatiō#, _shake_, #rapiō#, _seize_, #sapiō#, _have sense_, and their compounds; the compounds of #*laciō#, _lure_, and #speciō# or #spiciō#, _spy_, and the deponents #gradior#, _step_, #morior#, _die_, and #patior#, _suffer_, and their compounds. For occasional forms like those of verbs in #-īre# (or #-īrī#), see 791. For #aiō#, see 786; for #fīō#, 788.

837. A few present stems are formed by adding a variable vowel #{-o|e-}#, for an older #-i{o|e-}#, to a vowel root: as,

#ruō#, _tumble down_, #rui-s#, #rui-t#, #rui-mus#, #rui-tis#, #ruu-nt# (114). Vowel roots in #-ā-#, #-ē-#, or #-ī-# have a present stem like that of denominatives: as, #stō#, _stand_, #stā-s#, #sta-t#, #stā-mus#, #stā-tis#, #sta-nt#; #fleō#, _weep_, #flē-s#, #fle-t#, #flē-mus#, #flē-tis#, #fle-nt#; #neō#, _spin_, has once #neu-nt# for #ne-nt# (Tib.); #sciō#, _know_, #scī-s#, #sci-t#, #scī-mus#, #scī-tis#, #sciu-nt#.

838. Most present stems formed by adding the suffix #-iō# to a root ending in #-l-#, #-r-#, or #-n-#, and all formed by adding #-iō# to a long syllable, have the form of denominatives in #-īre# in the present system: as, #saliō#, _leap_, #salīre#, #aperiō#, _open_, #aperīre#, #veniō#, _come_, #venīre#; #farciō#, _cram_, #farcīre#.

[Errata: 830 ... (#tragh-#) ... (#flūgu-#). In these two roots, the pairs “gh” and “gu” are printed together, while the other letters of the root are spaced as usual. 834 ... less commonly #ē#, before the suffix #ē#. before 835 ... #pectō#, _comb_ #pectō# _comb_]