THE PASSIVE VOICE.
231. As is seen from the paradigm § 208 the passive may be formed through all its tenses by means of the auxiliary blive; but in the present, imperfect and infinitive (accordingly also in the future) there also occurs another form ending in -es.
Note 1. The passive in -es is a formation peculiar to the Scandinavian group of the Teutonic languages. It was originally a medial or reflexive formation, the terminal s being derived from original -sk (representing the reflexive pronoun O. N. sik.) This original reflexive signification is retained in many words; ængstes–ængste sig to be alarmed; harmes, vredes to get angry; undres–undre sig to wonder, etc.
Note 2. The form in -s is sometimes used in a reciprocal signification: vi sees igjen we are going to see each other (i. e. to meet) again; mödes to meet; træffes to meet; slaas to fight; kappes to vie with each other; kives to quarrel; strides to dispute; næbbes to bill; mundhugges to quarrel; enes to agree, etc.
Sometimes the verb is used this way in connection with a preposition where the pronoun contained in the reflexive verb must be taken to be governed by the preposition; Ex. at tales ved to speak with each other (in Norway they still say dialectically tale ved en, generally tale med en); the preposition is used adverbially in skilles ad to separate, fölges ad to go to-gether ; hjælpes ad to assist each other.
232. Some verbs which only occur in passive form and some others, that have both an active and a passive form, but with an entirely different meaning, are called deponent verbs; Ex. lykkes to succeed; blues to be ashamed; længes to long; ældes to grow old; mindes to remember (but minde to remind), findes to exist (but finde to find), gives to exist (G. es giebt’ from give to give). These deponent verbs, and to this
