Weak and Strong
Weak verbs should be contrasted with strong verbs, which form their past tenses by means of ablaut (vowel gradation: sing - sang - sung). Most verbs in the early stages of the Germanic languages were strong. However, as the ablaut system is no longer productive except in rare cases of analogy, almost all new verbs in Germanic languages are weak, and the majority of the original strong verbs have become weak by analogy.
Read more about this topic: Germanic Weak Verb
Famous quotes containing the words weak and, weak and/or strong:
“A proper secrecy is the only mystery of able men; mystery is the only secrecy of weak and cunning ones.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“For them it’s out-of-date and outmoded to perform miracles; teaching the people is too like hard work, interpreting the holy scriptures is for schoolmen and praying is a waste of time; to shed tears is weak and womanish, to be needy is degrading; to suffer defeat is a disgrace and hardly fitting for one who scarcely permits the greatest of kings to kiss the toes of his sacred feet; and finally, death is an unattractive prospect, and dying on a cross would be an ignominious end.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)
“The strong arm, my lord, is no argument, though it overcomes all logic.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)