Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1968, Page 88

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On Some Cases of Interaction
ever, seems impossible to consider as principal ones. As is
known, these forms coincide with phonetically in most modern
Germanic languages. In some languages this is the result of the
loss in 3 pl. pres. indic. of the group of consonants (-nt) and
of a consonant (-n) in tihe inf. I. Cf. Olcel. inf. I nema, Goth.
niman, Olcel. 3 pl. pres. indic. nema, Goth. nimand.
In other languages this is the result of a loss only of one
consonant -t in 3 pl. pres. indic. Cf. High Germ. inf. I nehmen,
3 pl. pres. indic. nehmen. In some languages these forms have
zero inflections. Cf. Eng. inf. I — go, 3 pl. pres. indic. — go.
It is of interest that such coincidence in individual langu-
ages and even in the individual dialects of the given language
happens non-simultaneously. Cf. in North Frisian, in which
the changes in 3 pl. pres. indic. depend on the changes in the
infinitive, but in which only in some dialects these forms are
phonetically identical. Cf. inf. I: snaaki, heelpe, lievy, badde,
ringi, hilp, diili, rop, pluugi, slau, wanske, skriiw, fleerte,
luupe, hoowe, kriipe, smaage, skride, fráige, dreege, tinge, sate;
I—3 pl. pres. indic.: snaakit, heelpet, liewy, badde, ringin,
hilp, diili, rop, pluugi, slau, wánske, skriiw, fleerte, luupe,
hoowe, kriipe, smaage, skride, fráige, dreege, tinge, sate.21)
The instances of coincidence of inf. I with I sing. pres. indic.
in contrast to the coincidence of inf. I with 3 pl. pres. indic.
cannot be regarded as regular and probably are of phonetical
origin. Cf. in North Frisian, on the one hand inf. I: snaaki,
lievy, badde, ringi, hilp, I sing. pres. indic.: snaaki, lievy,
badde, ringi, hilp; on the other hand inf. I: heelpe, fleerte,
luupe, kriipe, I sing. pres. indic.: heelp, fleert, luup, kriip.22)
On the contrary, the forms of inf. I in -en determine in Low
German and Middle English the replacement of the forms of
3 pl. pres. indic. -et, -að by the inflection -en, which reflects
21) A. Johannsen. Die Infinitive in den nordfriesischen Mundarten,
S. 42.
22) A. Johannsen. Die Infinitive in den nordfriesischen Mundarten,
S. 42.