June 16, 2007

Goodby to Another Strong Verb

The Times reports:
Doug Brock, a lawyer for the North Carolina State Bar, the state agency bringing the case, said, “From his very first involvement in this case, Mr. Nifong weaved a web of deception, which continued up to this hearing.”
The old Germanic ablaut system of "strong" verbs, where the inner vowel is changed to mark tense (sing, sang, sung, for example) is dying out.

In my day, rogue prosecutors wove webs of deception. Sic transit gloria mundi. Bah, humbug!

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