_Present._ _Praet.--Sing. form._ _Praet.--Pl. form._ Swim Swam Swum. Begin Began Begun. Spin [52]Span Spun. Win [52]Wan [53]Won. Sing Sang Sung. Swing [52]Swang Swung. Spring Sprang Sprung. Sting [52]Stang Stung. Ring Rang Rung. Wring [52]Wrang Wrung. Fling Flang Flung. Cling -- Clung. [52]Hing Hang Hung. String [52]Strang Strung. Sling -- Slung. Sink Sank Sunk. Drink Drank Drunk. Shrink Shrank Shrunk. Stink [52]Stank Stunk. Swink -- -- Slink -- Slunk. Swell Swoll -- {314} Melt [54]Molt -- Help [54]Holp -- Delve [54]Dolv -- Dig -- Dug. Stick [54]Stack Stuck. Run Ran Run. Burst -- Burst. Bind Band Bound. Find [54]Fand Found. Grind -- Ground. Wind -- Wound. Upon this list we make the following observations and statements:-- 1. That, with the exceptions of _bind_, _find_, _grind_, and _wind_, the vowels are short (or dependent) throughout. 2. That, with the exception of _run_ and _burst_, the vowel of the present tense is either the _i_ or e. 3. That _i_ short changes into _a_ for the singular, and into _u_ for the plural forms. 4. That _e_ changes into _o_ in the singular forms; these being the only ones preserved. 5. That the _i_ in _bind_, &c., changes into _ou_ in the plural forms; the only ones current. 6. That the vowel before _m_ or _n_ is, with the single exception of _run_, always _i_. 7. That the vowel before _l_ and _r_ is, with the single exception of _burst_, always e. 8. That, where the _i_ is sounded as in _bind_, the combination following is _-nd_. 9. That _ng_ being considered as a modification of _k_ (the Norse and Moeso-Gothic forms being _drecka_ and _drikjan_), it may be stated that _i_ short, in the twelfth class, precedes either a liquid or a mute of series _k_.