Regular and irregular verbs
A regular verb (regular verb ) is a verb whose inflections can be completely derived with the usual grammar rules from the nominal form. If this is not the case, it is called an irregular verb All natural languages have a ( varying ) number of irregular verbs.
In the simplest form of regularity only a verbal class, a single stem form and a set of rules for forming the finite inflected forms exist. In more complex systems, several verbal inflection classes, multiple root forms and several types of rules may occur.
What is referred to by several classes as regularly depends usually on their size. Tend the class with the most numerous members is called regularly, even if the verbs are statistically less frequent.
Psycholinguistics
In psycholinguistics is of interest, such as regular and irregular verbs are processed by humans. In infants, it can be observed that they often inflect irregular verbs according to regular patterns, which leads to errors rather than eaten as geesst. This is an indication that we actually learn the grammar on the basis of rules.
Regular verbs in German
In the grammar of the German regular verbs are usually equated with the weak verbs. In fact, the vast majority of weak verbs form their inflections quite regularly, but there are also some that vowel change or other abnormalities show and therefore not as regularly can apply ( burn - burned - burned, think - thought - thought ).
These verbs are distinguished by the kind of education their original forms for the past tense and past participle. In weak verbs the suffix { -t } serves as indicator for the preterite. Any personal ending (see person) occurs as a suffix behind it.
Examples:
- Infinitive: wink -en > 1./3.Person, singular, past tense: wink - te
- Infinitive: learning -en > 1./3.Person, singular, past tense: learning - te
- Infinitive: sag -en > 1./3.Person, singular, past tense: sag - te
- Infinitive: liberating en> 1./3.Person, singular, past tense: liberating te
For the formation of the past participle passive (synonymous with participle II) applies to the weak verbs that as a dental suffix { -t } is appended to the stem. Before the stem also the prefix { ge - } is set. This does not apply to verbs that end in- ming.
Does the verb a prefix (prefix ), eliminating either the prefix { ge - } or it is used the infix - { ge - }.
Examples:
- With the prefix { ge - } Infinitive: unk -en > Past participle ge - unk -t
- Infinitive: sit -en > Past participle permit-ted -t
- Infinitive: think -en > Past participle ge - think -t
- Infinitive: ver -such- en> Past participle ver -such- t
- Infinitive: be- away -en > Past participle be - gone -t
- Infinitive: ent -empty en> Past participle corresponding empty -t
- Infinitive: march - ier -en > Past participle march - ier -t
- Infinitive: from -sag -en > Past participle from - ge -sag -t
- Infinitive: to - led - s > Past participle to - ge - led -t
- Infinitive: off -frag -en > Past participle of - ge -frag -t
The regularity of the stem-form formation in the weak verbs is only interrupted by the exceptions to the prefix in the participle.
The number of regular verbs exceeds that of the irregular significantly. Neoplasms almost always go as regular verbs in the German language ( cf. surf, bombs, phone calls, X-ray, etc.). Despite their quantitative superiority in texts they are less common than strong verbs, because it is many of the frequently used verbs are strong.