Re: Suppletory forms

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)