Parliamo
Scots Soutar
Davie
Verbal Forms
PAST
TENSE AND PAST PARTICIPLES
The
past tense and past participles of weak verbs are formed by adding –it,
-t, -ed, and –d to the infinitive.
Verbs ending in –b, -d, -g, -k, -p and
–t, add –it.
For example:
beb bebbit
bebbit
synd syndit
syndit
bigg biggit
biggit
howk howkit
howkit
bowk bowkit
bowkit
rowp rowpit
rowpit
veisit viesitit
veisitit
Verbs ending in -en, -er,
-il, -ch, -sh, -ss and –f, usually append –t.
For example:
fessen
fessent fessent
founder foundert
foundert
hirpil hirpilt
hirpilt
lauch laucht
laucht
fash fasht
fasht
bliss blisst
blisst
cof coft
coft
Normally, other verbs add
–ed.
For example:
beil beiled
beiled
birl birled
birled
kaim kaimed
kaimed
hain hained
hained
spier spiered
spiered
When the infinitive ends in a
silent –e, -ed is added.
For example: breinged, chowed, stroned, sterved, loued,
follaed, etc.
The ending –en is
sometimes used to form past participles.
For example:
gae gaed
gaen
gie gien
gien
hae haed
haen
A few verbs have survived
only as past participles, for example, begrutten, behauden and
forfochen.
INFINITIVE
When the infinitive of a
verb implies an intention, it can be prefaced by for
Ah aye ryse aerlie for ti be in guid tyme for ma wark.
PRESENT INDICATIVE
Present indicative of the verb ti stravaig
Ah stravaig we/oo* stravaig
Thou stravaigs ye stravaig
He stravaigs thay stravaig
*form in Border
Scots
FUTURE
In forming the future
tense, wul is normally used with all persons and numbers. Sal
can be used as a formal option with all persons and numbers.
Ye wul hae haen yeir tea?
Aw ingethert siller sal be uised for the objeks o
the Associe.
PROGRESSIVE FORMS
In
forming various tenses, the progressive form of the verb is common with a
range of verbs referring to mental processes, like: dout, forget, hear,
jalouse, ken, mynd and want. This form is constructed from the
verb, ti be and the present participle.
Ah’m thinkin he’l be nane the
waur o hangin.
We war hearin ye war late for the skuil
this mornin.
Ye wul be myndin it’s yeir sister’s
birthday.
The progressive form is particularly associated with Highland speech.
We wass lyin at Oban at the tyme, the Clansman’s enchines needin sortin,
sae Ah sent for Mary tae Tobermory, an her an me gaed in a cab. Ah never
saw her lookin sae weill.
When Ah wul be seeing a bad man greitin, Ah wul aye be snekkin up ma
sporran.
I wul be painting her till you wad be takkin her for a braw yat, an
it wesna for the lum on her. |
