this form in the Bible, the older form persisted in the late period: Angylion doent … Rhoent eu coronau Wms. 320 ‘Let angels come, let them put their crowns.’
iv. The 1st and 2nd pl. have taken the forms of the pres. ind.; but an earlier 1st pl. in ‑em occurs rarely, § 184 ii (1).
Origins of the Welsh Verb.
The Aryan Verb.
§ 178. i. In order to trace the development of the Welsh verb, some account, though it be in the briefest outline, must be given of the Ar. verbal system. For a fuller, but still concise and most instructive description, see Meillet, Intr.² pp. 165–219.
ii. Stem form.—Two kinds of stem may be distinguished. Thematic forms were those ending in the thematic vowel ‑e‑: ‑o‑; it was ‑o- in the 1st sg. and 1st and 3rd pl., and ‑e- in the 2nd and 3rd sg. and 2nd pl. Athematic forms were those ending in a consonant or long vowel.
iii. Personal endings.—(1) The Ar. verb had personal endings for each of the three persons of the sg., dual and pl. These were either primary or secondary; and the primary endings differed to some extent for thematic and athematic stems. There were special endings for the perfect.
In the following list I omit the dual; and as the thematic vowel cannot be separated from the ending in some primary forms, I insert the vowel before the ending throughout, separating it by a hyphen, where possible, from the personal ending proper: all the persons of thematic stems are thus put on the same level.
(2) Active voice.
Primary.—Thematic: sg. 1. ‑ō, 2. ‑ēis, 3. ‑ēit; pl. 1. ‑o‑mesi, ‑o‑mosi, ‑o‑mē̆s, ‑o‑mō̆s, 2. ‑e‑the, 3. ‑o‑nti.
Athematic: sg. 1. ‑mi, 2. ‑si, 3. ‑ti; pl. 1. ‑mesi, ‑mosi, ‑mē̆s, ‑mō̆s, 2. ‑the, 3. after a consonant ‑enti, ‑n̥ti, after a vowel ‑nti.
Secondary.—Thematic: sg. 1. ‑o‑m, 2. ‑e‑s, 3. ‑e‑t; pl. 1. ‑o‑mē̆, ‑o‑mō̆, 2. ‑e‑te, 3. ‑o‑nt.
Athematic: sg. 1. after a vowel ‑m, after a cons, ‑m̥, 2. ‑s, 3. ‑t; pl. 1. ‑mē̆, ‑mō̆, 2. ‑te, 3. after cons, ‑ent, ‑n̯t, after vow. ‑nt.
(3) Middle voice (medio-passive); 1st and 2nd pl. omitted. Primary.—Thematic: sg. 1. ‑o‑mai, ‑ōi, 2. ‑e‑sai, 3. ‑e‑tai, pl. 3. ‑o‑ntai.
Athematic: sg. 1. ‑mai, 2. ‑sai, 3. ‑tai, pl. 3. ‑ntai.
Secondary.—Thematic: sg. 2. ‑es‑o, 3. ‑e‑to, pl. 3. ‑o‑nto. Athematic: sg. 2. ‑so, ‑thēs, 3. ‑to, pl. 3. ‑nto.
(4) Perfect. The following endings only need be mentioned. Active: sg. 1. ‑a, 3. ‑e.
