Old English Paradigms Cheat Sheet
Adjectives and Pronouns Typical uses of the cases
Adjective Declesions Interrogative Personal Pronouns Demonstrative Pronouns Case Function
Example: gōd, good and Indefinite
Pronouns Nominative Subject
Weak Declension Strong Declension hwā? hwæt? iċ, I þū, hē hēo hit, he she it se, 'this, that' þes, 'this'
Accusative Object
who? what? you
m f n m f n mf n m f n m f n m f n Genitive Possession
nom. gōda gōde gōde gōd gōd gōd hwā hwæt iċ þū hē hēo hit se sēo þæt þes þēos þis
Dative “by/with/to/for”
Singular
accus. gōdan gōdan gōde gōdne gōde gōd hwone hwæt mē þē hine hīe hit þone þā þæt þisne þās þis
gen. gōdan gōdan gōdan gōdes gōdre gōdes hwæs hwæs mīn þīn his hire his þæs þǣre þæs þisses þisse þisses Instrumental Instrument/agent (rare)
dat. gōdan gōdan gōdan gōdum gōdre gōdum hwǣm hwǣm mē þē him hire him þǣm þǣre þǣm þissum þisse þissum
instr. — — — gōde — gōde hwȳ hwȳ — — — — — þȳ — þȳ þȳs — þȳs
nom. gōdan gōde gōd wē ġē hīe þā þās
Plural
accus. gōdan gōde gōd ūs ēow hīe þā þās
No plural
gen. gōdra gōdra gōdra ūre ēower hira þāra þissa
dat. gōdum gōdum gōdum ūs ēow him þǣm þissum
Nouns
Weak Nouns Strong Nouns
n-stems o-stems ā-stems Consonant Declension u-stems
nama, m. sunne, f.,. ēage, n., stān, m., scip, n., word, n., ġiefu, f., lār, f., mann, bōc, f., fæder, m. mōdor, f.. sunu, m. hand, f.
'name' 'sun' 'eye' 'stone' 'ship' 'word' 'gift' 'teaching' m., 'man' 'book' 'father' 'mother' 'son' 'hand'
nom. nama sunne ēaġe stān scip word ġiefu lār mann bōc fæder mōdor sunu hand Principal Parts of the Strong Verbs
Singular
acc. naman sunnan ēaġe stān scip word ġiefe lāre mann bōc fæder mōdor sunu hand PIE e-grade (‘) PIE o- PIE Ø-grade (_’)
gen. naman sunnan ēaġan stānes scipes wordes ġiefe lāre mannes bēċ fæder mōdor sunu handa grade (‘_)
1 2* 3 4 5
dat. naman sunnan ēaġan stāne scipe worde ġiefe lāre menn bēċ fæder mōdor suna handa Class Frame Infinitive 3rd S Pret sg Pret pl. Past Part
nom. naman sunnan ēaġan stānas scipu word ġiefa lāra menn bēċ fæder mōdor suna handa Prs
ī ā i i
Plural
accus. naman sunnan ēaġan stānas scipu word ġiefa lāra menn bēċ fæder mōdor suna handa
gen. namena sunnena ēaġena stāna scipa worda ġiefa lāra manna bōca fædera mōdra suna handa 1 i+C ī ī ā i i
dat. namum sunnum ēaġum stānum scipum wordum ġiefum lārum mannum bōcum fæderum mōdrum sunum handum drīfan drīfð drāf drifon gedrifen
ēo/ū ēa u o
Verbs ēo īe ēa u o
'Irregular' Strong Weak I Weak II Preterite-Present 2
eo/u
cēosan cīesð cēas curon gecoren
Tense Mood Number Person bēon, 'to be' singan, to fremman, 'to hīeran, 'to lufian, 'to love' wītan, ‘to know’ +C
ū ȳ ēa u o
sing; do' honour'
lūcan lȳcð lēac lucon gelocen
1 eom bēo singe fremme hīere lufie wāt
i | e/eo/ie a | ea/æ u u|o
Singular 2 eart bist sing(e)st fremest hīerst lufast wāst
i i a u u
Indic. 3 is biþ sing(e)þ fremeþ hīerþ lufaþ wāt
bindan bind band bundon gebunden
sind / bēoþ singaþ fremmaþ hīeraþ lufiaþ witon V
Plural 1, 2, and 3 e i ea u o
sindon 3 + l/r/h/n
Present
+C helpan hilpð healp hulpon geholpen
Singular 1, 2, and 3 sīe bēo singe fremme hīere lufie wite
Subjun. eo ie ea u o
Plural 1, 2, and 3 sīen bēon singen fremmen hīeren lufien witen
hweorfan hwierf hwearf hwurfon gehworfen
Singular 1, 2, and 3 wes bēo sing freme hīer lufa wite
Imperative ð
Plural 1, 2, and 3 wesaþ bēoþ singaþ fremmaþ hīeraþ lufiaþ witaþ
e æ ǣ o
Infinitive bēon singan fremman hīeran lufian witan
e + l/r/m e i æ ǣ o
Infl. Infin. tō bēonne tō singenne tō fremmenne tō hīerenne tō lufienne witenne
4 beran birð bær bǣron boren
Participle wesende bēonde singende fremmende hīerende lufiende witende
niman nimð nam nōmon genumen
1 wæs sang fremede hīerde lufode irreg
cuman cymð c(w)ōm c(w)ōman gec(w)umen
Singular 2 wǣre sunge fremedest hīerdest lufodest wiste/wisse e/i | i æ ǣ e
Indic. e
3 wæs sang fremede hīerde lufode 5 +C e i æ ǣ e
Past
Plural 1, 2, and 3 wǣron sungon fremedon hīerdon lufodon wisson/wiston (! l/r/m/n)
sprecan spricð spræc sprǣcon gesprecen
Singular 1, 2, and 3 wǣre sunge fremede hīerde lufode wisse/wiste a|e ō ō a
Subjun. a+C |
Plural 1, 2, and 3 wǣren sungen fremeden hīerden lufoden wissen/wisten 6 a æ ō ō a
e/ie + CC
Participle — ġesungen ġefremed ġehīered ġelufod ġewiten faran færð fōr fōron gefaren
Legend: es = unambiguous form (or nearly so); hit = form is identical in nominative and accusative a/o/ea/æ/e ē | ēo ē | ēo ā | ō | ēa*
a/o/ea/ ā ǣ ē ē ā
7 æ/e hātan hǣtt hēt hēton hāten
+C
© Daniel Paul O'Donnell, 2008-2020. Old English Cheatsheet by Daniel Paul O'Donnell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. ō ē ēo ēo ō
flōwan flēwð flēow flēowon flōwen
* = caused by regular sound changes (i-mutation, breaking, etc.)