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verbs: WEAK CLASS 4

The weak verbs of the 4th class are inflected exactly like the class 3 verbs, but they have no i-umlaut in the stem, because the /i/ in the endings weren't /i/:s originally. They don't have any /j/:s between stem and ending either.
Not many verbs belong to this class.
indicativesubjunctive/optative
sing.1lif-i 1lif-a
2lif-ir 2lif-ir
3lif-ir 3lif-i
plur.1lif-um 1lif-im
2lif-ið 2lif-ið
3lif-a 3lif-i

indicativesubjunctive/optative
:
· lifa 'live'
· þola 'endure'
· segja 'say' ; i-umlauted in pres. but not elsewhere
· þora 'dare'
· hafa 'have' ; i-umlauted in pres. sing. like strong verbs
sing.1lifð-a 1lifð-a
2lifð-ir 2lifð-ir
3lifð-i 3lifð-i
plur.1lifð-um 1lifð-im
2lifð-uð 2lifð-ið
3lifð-u 3lifð-i

The present participle is inflected like an adjective in the comparative grade; the perfect participle like a regular adjective.
present participleperfect participle
lifandilifðr or lifaðr


The ON class 4 verbs aren't the same as the gothic class 4. They are not old na-verbs, but ê-verbs, i.e. proto-germanic and gothic ai-verbs, which originally had a stative meaning.
© Peter Pettersson