Mathematics of Verbs

MathsIsFun · 2007-10-10 17:09:06

Verbs that don't end in "-ed" are gradually being converted ...

Some Harvard scientists have calculated how long it takes to change them: the inverse of the square root of how common they are!

See: http://www.sciencecodex.com/harvard_scientists_predict_the_future_of_the_past_tense

landof+ · 2007-10-17 00:29:05

fascinating. I must say it's an interesting investigation.

mathsyperson · 2007-10-17 07:43:14

Very interesting study indeed. I never would have thought that the evolution of English has such concrete patterns hiding in it.

To develop this formula, the researchers tracked the status of 177 irregular verbs in Old English through linguistic changes in Middle English and then modern English. Of these 177 verbs that were irregular 1,200 years ago, 145 stayed irregular in Middle English and just 98 remain irregular today, following the regularization over the centuries of such verbs as help, laugh, reach, walk, and work.

I would love to know what the previous past tense forms of those verbs were. That way I could try to resurrect them and mess up the findings.

Irregular verbs with lower frequencies of use -- such as "shrive" and "smite," with half-lives of 300 and 700 years, respectively -- are much more likely to succumb to regularization.

I for one hope that this never happens. Smote is a brilliant word.

MathsIsFun · 2007-10-17 09:30:17

Yeah, "smited" sounds lame.

luca-deltodesco · 2007-10-17 09:34:51

shrived? lol

i personally try to use such a wide vocabularly to perfectly convey my message that i often fail and leave a sentence unclosed while i try to remember the precise word or verb i want to use

luca-deltodesco · 2007-10-17 09:37:42

i must say i hope verbs like to write are one of those that will not change.

i don't know what i'd do if 'writed' became the correct past particible of write, or readed lol

luca-deltodesco · 2007-10-17 10:08:02

i was -> i beed (?)
i sang -> i singed (already exists from different verb?)
i threw -> i throwed
i knew -> i knowed
i took -> i taked
i taught -> i teached (this one is actually becoming common i've noticed)
i did -> i doed (ehm.. this one might be mistaken for 'hi dude' think )
i spun -> i spinned (also common ive noticed )
i swam -> i swimmed (also common ive noticed )

ive also just noticed that in english we do have compound verbs in terms of things like 'take -> partake' where partake follows same pattern as take but with the par prefix, 'took' 'partook'

landof+ · 2007-10-17 22:08:39

I had been singed sounds better.

mathsyperson · 2007-10-17 22:12:20

That's only if you're the subject of the singing. If you singe something else, then saying you singed it would be fine.

landof+ · 2007-10-17 22:16:47

yes... you got me spot on. I have NOT been singed though (si-nj-'d)

Monox D. I-Fly · 2019-12-17 19:00:53

mathsyperson wrote:

To develop this formula, the researchers tracked the status of 177 irregular verbs in Old English through linguistic changes in Middle English and then modern English. Of these 177 verbs that were irregular 1,200 years ago, 145 stayed irregular in Middle English and just 98 remain irregular today, following the regularization over the centuries of such verbs as help, laugh, reach, walk, and work.
I would love to know what the previous past tense forms of those verbs were. That way I could try to resurrect them and mess up the findings.

Well, since the past form of "teach" is "taught", the past form of "reach" at the time might be "raught".

Jai Ganesh · 2019-12-18 03:16:42

Similarly, bring in the present tense, brought is the past tense.
But, 'sing' and 'sought' have altogether different meanings!

Monox D. I-Fly · 2019-12-19 14:31:53

I don't even know the meaning of "sought"...

Jai Ganesh · 2019-12-19 15:36:46

Monox D. I-Fly wrote:

I don't even know the meaning of "sought"...

sought : past and past participle of seek.

seek : attempt to find (something).
2. attempt to find (something).
3. search for.
4. try to find.
5. look for
6. look about/around/round for.
7. cast about/around/round for.
8. be on the lookout for.
9. be after.
10. hunt for.
11. be in quest of etc.

Monox D. I-Fly · 2019-12-19 19:04:18

Oh man, silly me. Well, I do use "look for" or "search" more often.

Jai Ganesh · 2019-12-19 20:09:51

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2007-10-10 17:09:06

Mathematics of Verbs

#2 2007-10-17 00:29:05

Re: Mathematics of Verbs

#3 2007-10-17 07:43:14

Re: Mathematics of Verbs

#4 2007-10-17 09:30:17

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#5 2007-10-17 09:34:51

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#6 2007-10-17 09:37:42

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#7 2007-10-17 10:08:02

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#8 2007-10-17 22:08:39

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#9 2007-10-17 22:12:20

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#10 2007-10-17 22:16:47

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#11 2019-12-17 19:00:53

Re: Mathematics of Verbs

#12 2019-12-18 03:16:42

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#14 2019-12-19 15:36:46

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