Das germanische Verb für 'tun' und die Ausgänge des germanischen schwachen Präteritums

Abstract

The Germanic verb for 'do' - directly attested in West Germanic languages only - displays in its paradigm a number of unexpected features, for which no plausible historical explanation has yet been provided. The problems can be resolved if the reduplicated preterit of Germanic 'do' is not deduced from a Pre-Germanic imperfect stem but is conceived to continue a perfect which has the same structure as precursors of preterits to the so called verba pura. The inflection of Germanic 'do' in the present tense and the phonological form of its preterit participle correspond with what must be expected once one rejects the traditional connection to the Indo-European reduplicated presents and starts from the subjunctive of the corresponding aorist. This approach has the added advantage of supplying an unforced explanation for the otherwise mysterious vocalism of the Germanic weak preterit endings which are traditionally connected with the 'do' finite inflections.

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