History of the English Language
Prof. G. Steinberg
Inflectional Morphemes


Examine the following data from Persian.  Note that xar means "buy" and -id designates the past tense.
 

xaridam "I bought" namixaridand "they were not buying"
xaridi "you (sing.) bought" naxaridim "we did not buy"
xarid "(he) bought" mixarid "(he) was buying"
naxaridam "I did not buy" mixaridid "you (pl.) were buying"

How would you say the following sentences in Persian?

  1. They were buying.
  2. You (pl.) did not buy.
  3. You (sing.) were buying.
  4. We were not buying.

Examine the following data from Old English.  Fill in the blank spaces in the chart.
 
Old English Modern English translation
se cyning the king
se stan the stone
se engel the angel
geaf gave
stod stood
seah saw
ðæs engles stan the angel's stone
Ðone engel seah se cyning. The king saw the angel.
Se cyning seah ðone engel. The king saw the angel.
Se engel stod on ðam stane. The angel stood on the stone
Seah se engel ðæs cyninges stan. The angel saw the king's stone.
Se cyning ðam engle ðone stan geaf. The king gave the stone to the angel.
  The king stood on the angel.
Se engel ðone stan ðam cyninge geaf.  
  The king saw the stone's angel.
Se engel ðone cyning on ðam stane seah.  
  The stone stood on the king's angel.
  The angel gave the king to the stone.

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