The bearing of this fact upon the praeterites has been indicated in p. 300. In a great number of words we have a double form, as _ran_ and _run_, _sang_ and _sung_, _drank_ and _drunk_, &c. One of these forms is derived from the singular, and the other from the plural. I cannot say at what period the difference of form ceased to denote a difference of sense. In cases where but one form is preserved, that form is not necessarily the singular one. For instance, Ic f_a_nd, _I found_, we f_u_ndon, _we found_, are the Anglo-Saxon forms. Now the present word _found_ comes, not from the singular _fand_, but from the plural _fund_; although in the Lowland Scotch dialect and in the old writers, the singular form occurs. Donald Caird finds orra things, Where Allan Gregor _fand_ the tings.--Scott. Even in the present English it will be found convenient to {308} call the forms like _sang_ and _drank_ the singular, and those like _sung_ and _bound_ the plural forms. Be it observed, that, though this fact accounts for most of our double forms, it will not account for all. In the Anglo-Saxon, Ic spr['ae]c, _I spake_, we spr['ae]con, _we spake_. There is no change of number to account for the two forms _spake_ and _spoke_. _First Class._ s. 364. Contains the two words _fall_ and _fell_, _hold_ and _held_, where the sound of _o_ is changed into that of _[)e]_. Here must be noticed the natural tendency of _a_ to become _o_; since the forms in Anglo-Saxon are, _Ic fealle_, I fall; _Ic feoll_, I fell; _Ic healde_, I hold; _Ic heold_, I held. _Second Class._ s. 365. Here the praeterite ends in _-ew_. Words of this class are distinguished from those of the third Class by the different form of the present tense. _Present._ _Praeterite._ Draw Drew. Slay Slew. Fly Flew. In these words the _w_ has grown out of a _g_, as may be seen from the Anglo-Saxon forms. The word _see_ (_saw_) belongs to this class: since, in Anglo-Saxon, we find the forms _gese['a]h_ and _gesegen_, and in the Swedish the praeterite form is _saag_. _Third Class._ s. 366. Here an _o_ before _w_, in the present, becomes _e_ before _w_ in the praeterite; as _Present._ _Praeterite._ Blow. Blew. Crow. Crew. Throw. Threw. Know. Knew. Grow. Grew. _Fourth Class._ s. 367. Contains the single word _let_, where a short _e_ in the {309} present remains unchanged in the praeterite. In the Anglo-Saxon the present form was _Ic laete_, the praeterite _Ic l['e]t_. _Fifth Class._ s. 368. Contains the single word _beat_, where a long _e_ remains unchanged. In Anglo-Saxon the forms were _Ic beate_, _Ic beot_. _Sixth Class._ s. 369. Present _come_, praeterite _came_, participle _come_. In Anglo-Saxon, _cume_, _com_, _cumen_. _Seventh Class._