How to parse. ...

Par. 557, 558.] INFLECTIONS.

301

so the Third may be called Analytical, the tendency
being developed to take the language as it were to
pieces, dropping Inflections and using existing words,
e.g. Prepositions and Auxiliary Verbs, to replace
them. The Present Participle in -inge appears about
A.D. 1300, and the ordinary Infinitive takes " to"
before it.
French words now became so common as to be
estimated at 4 per cent. of the Vocabulary.
557 Fourth, or "National Period," A.D. 1350 -1500.- This period witnessed the decay of the last
refuge of many Inflections, viz. final -e. During the
earlier part of the period, -e was used according to
rule, and represented(1) The mark of (a) the Plural Adjective; (b)
the Definite Adjective:(a) " smale fowles;" (b) " the grete see."
(2) The mark of the Adverb, e.g. "brightS"
(brightly).
(3) The mark of the Infinitive, and of the Past
Tense: 1
" Iim thought} that his herti wolde breke." 2
558 But, towards the end of this period, the use of
final -e became uncertain. Also the Present
1 It represented the Plural of Past Tense of Strong Verbs, the
Singular and Plural of the Past Tense of Weak Verbs, also some
Cases of Nouns. &c.
2 Chaucer, quoted by Morris, Historical Outlines of English Accidence.