se, seo, thaet.
_Gen._ thaes, thaere, thaes.
_Dat._ tham, thaere, tham.
_Acc._ thone, tha, thaet.
_Inst._ thy, thaere, thy.

PLUR.

Masc. Fem. Neut.
_Nom._ tha.
_Gen._ thara.
_Dat._ tham.
_Acc._ tha.
_Inst._ --

Verbs are conjugated about as fully as in Latin. There are two principal
forms: strong verbs, which form their preterite by vowel modification,
as _binde_, pret. _band_; and weak verbs, which form it by the addition
of _ode_ or _de_ to the root, as _lufige_, pret. _lufode_; _hire_, pret.
_hirde_. The present and preterite of the first form are as follows:--

IND. SUBJ.

_Pres. sing._ 1. binde. binde.
2. bindest. binde.
3. bindeth. binde.

_plur._ 1, 2, 3. bindath. binden.

_Pret. sing._ 1. band. bunde.
2. bunde. bunde.
3. band. bunde.

_plur._ 1, 2, 3. bundon. bunden.

Both the grammatical forms and still more the orthography vary much from
time to time, from place to place, and even from writer to writer. The
forms used in this work are for the most part those employed by West
Saxons in the age of AElfred.

A few examples of the language as written at three periods will enable
the reader to form some idea of its relation to the existing type. The
first passage cited is from King AElfred's translation of Orosius; but it
consists of the opening lines of a paragraph inserted by the king
himself from his own materials, and so affords an excellent illustration
of his style in original English prose. The reader is recommended to
compare it word for word with the parallel slightly modernised version,
bearing in mind the inflexional terminations.

Ohthere saede his hlaforde, | Othhere said [to] his lord,
AElfrede cyninge, thaet he | AElfred king, that he of all
ealra Northmonna northmest | Northmen northmost abode.
bude. He cwaeth thaet he | He quoth that he abode
bude on thaem lande northweardum | on the land northward against
with tha West-sae. | the West Sea. He said,
He saede theah thaet thaet land | though, that that land was
sie swithe lang north thonan;