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Re: Suppletory forms

From:John Cowan <cowan@...>
Date:Tuesday, February 16, 1999, 23:37
Paulus Flores scripsit:

> I figured out it'd be nice to > have some suppletory forms (like "went" for "go" in > English), but I don't have a clue where they should > come from. Any comments will be appreciated.
Unfortunately, nobody knows anything about it. The close relatives of English have a perfectly good preterit for "go" (e.g. German "ging"), but it dropped out of English. "Wend" is a normal, if rare, weak verb, whose preterit form "went" has supplied the missing preterit of "go". Neither of these occurrences is explicable by any theory. So if you want suppletive forms, put them in. About the only thing to be said is that (like other irregularities, but more so) they tend to be preserved only in overwhelmingly common words. -- John Cowan http://www.ccil.org/~cowan cowan@ccil.org You tollerday donsk? N. You tolkatiff scowegian? Nn. You spigotty anglease? Nnn. You phonio saxo? Nnnn. Clear all so! 'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)