II. THE PERFECT SYSTEM.

II. THE PERFECT SYSTEM.

PERFECT INDICATIVE STEM.

854. There are two kinds of perfect stems: (A.) Some verbs have as perfect stem a root, generally with some modification, but without a suffix (858-866). (B.) Some perfects are formed with a suffix, #-s-#, or #-v-# or #-u-# (867-875).

855. Some perfects of primitives are formed not from a root, but from the present stem without the formative vowel, treated as a root: as, #prehendī#, _seized_, from #prehend-# (866); #poposcī#, _asked_, #fefellī#, _deceived_ (858); #iūnxī#, _joined_ (867).

856. The first person of the perfect ends in #-ī#, sometimes written #ei# (29, 2). #-t#, #-stī#, sometimes written #-stei# (29, 2), #-stis#, and #-mus# are preceded by short #i#; #-re# is always, and #-runt# is usually, preceded by long #ē#: as,

#rēxī#, #rēxi-stī#, #rēxi-t#, #rēxi-mus#, #rēxi-stis#, #rēxē-runt# (#rēxe-runt#), or #rēxē-re#.

857. Sometimes #-t# is preceded by long #ī#: as, #iīt#, #petiīt#, REDIEIT (29, 2). #-runt# is sometimes preceded by short #e# (Plaut., Ter., Lucr., Hor., Ov., Verg., Phaedr.). This is the original form; #-ē-# is by analogy to #-ēre#.

(A.) PERFECT STEM WITHOUT A SUFFIX.

858. (1.) Some verbs in #-ere# form their perfect stem by prefixing to the root its initial consonant with the following vowel, which, if #a#, is usually represented by #e#; this is called the _Reduplicated Perfect_, and the first syllable is called the _Reduplication_: as,

PERFECT STEM. VERB. FROM THEME. pu-pug- pungō, _punch_ +pug-+ pe-pig- pangō, _fix_ +pag-+

Other examples are: #cadō#, _fall_, #cecidī# (#cad-#, 104, _c_); #pariō#, _bring forth_, #peperī# (#par-#, 104, _c_); #pellō#, _push_, #pepulī# (#pol-#, 105, _h_); #poscō#, _demand_, #poposcī# (855); #fallō#, _deceive_, #fefellī# (855, 104, _c_); see also 923-932. #caedō#, _cut_, has #cecīdī# (108, _a_); and a few old forms are quoted from verbs having an #o# or an #u# in the root with #e# in the reduplication: as, #memordī#, #pepugī#.

859. Four verbs with vowel roots also have a reduplicated perfect stem: #dō#, _give_, _put_, #dare#, #dedī#; #bibō#, _drink_, #bibere#, #bibī#; #stō#, _stand_, #stāre#, #stetī#, and #sistō#, _set_, #sistere#, #-stitī#, rarely #stitī#. Also four verbs in #-ēre#: #mordeō#, _bite_, #momordī#, #pendeō#, _hang_, #pependī#, #spondeō#, _promise_, #spopondī#, #tondeō#, _clip_, #-totondī#. In the root syllable of #spopondī#, _promised_, #stetī#, _stood_, #stitī#, _set_, and the old #scicidī#, _clove_, an #s# is dropped (173, 2).