Heavy Construction

176.



a. In the First, Second, and Fourth conjugations, by adding a long vowel (á-, é-, í-) to the root, whose vowel is sometimes changed: as, vocá-re (VOC), moné-re (MEN, cf. meminí), sopí-re (SOP).[1][Most verbs of the First, Second, and Fourth Conjugations form the present stem by adding the suffix -yeo to a noun-stem. The á of the First Conjugation is the stem-ending of the noun (as, plantá-re, from plantá-, stem of planta). The é of the Second and the í of the Fourth Conjugation are due to contraction of the short vowel of the noun-stem with the ending -yeo-. Thus albére is from albeo-, stem of albus; fíníre is from fíni-, stem of fínis. Some verbs of these classes, however, come from roots ending in a vowel.]



NOTE: Verb-stems of these conjugations are almost all really formed from noun-stems on the pattern of older formations (see § 174).

b. In the Third Conjugation, by adding a short vowel eo[2][This is the so-called ``thematic vowel.''] to the root. In Latin this eo usually appears as iu, but e, is preserved in some forms. Thus, tegi-s (root TEG), ali-tis (AL), regu-nt (REG); but tege-ris (tege-re), ale-ris.

• 

• 1. The stem-vowel eo (iu) may be preceded by n, t, or sc:[3][In these verbs the stem-ending added to the root is respectively -neo-, -teo-, sceo-. as, tem-ni-tis, tem-nu-nt, tem-ne-ris] (TEM); plec-ti-s (PLEC); cré-sci-tis (CR=E).

  

• 2. Verbs in -ió of the Third Conjugation (as, capió, capere) show in some forms an i before the final vowel of the stem: as, cap-i-unt (CAP), fug-i-unt (FUG).

  

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• c. The root may be changed -

  

• • 

  • 1. By the repetition of a part of it (reduplication) : as, gi-gn-e-re (GEN).

    

  • 2. By the insertion of a nasal (m or n): as, find-e-re (FID), tang-e-re (TAG).

    

  d. In some verbs the present stem is formed from a noun-stem in u-: as, statu-e-re (statu-s), aestu-á-re (aestu-s); cf. acuó, acuere.[4][These are either old formations in -yeo- in which the y has disappeared after the u (as, statuó for statu-yó) or later imitations of such forms.]

  

  NOTE 1: A few isolated forms use the simple root as a present stem: as, fer-re, fer-t; es-se; vel-le, vul-t. These are counted as irregular.

  NOTE 2: In some verbs the final consonant of the root is doubled before the stem-vowel: as, pell-i-tis (PEL), mitt-i-tis (MIT).

  e. Some verbs have roots ending in a vowel. In these the present stem is generally identical with the root: as, da-mus (DA), flé-mus (stem flé-, root form unknown).[5][In some of the verbs of this class the present stem was originally identical with the root; in others the ending -yeo- was added, but has been absorbed by contraction.] But others, as rui-mus (RU), are formed with an additional vowel according to the analogy of the verbs described in d.

  

  NOTE: Some verbs of this class reduplicate the root: as, si-st-e-re (STA, cf. stáre).