Page:A simplified grammar of the Swedish language.djvu/76

58 Other verbs vary between the other conjugations, as —

There is a tendency in modern Swedish to transfer verbs of the fourth or strong form of conjugation to the first or second weak form. Similarly, modern usage tends to reject the harder radical vowels in favour of their softer derivatives, taking ä for å, ö for u, etc.; while for the same considerations of euphony the j is frequently dropped, as in böd, originally bjöd, imperf. indicative of bjuda, 'to bid;' söng, originally sjöng, imp. ind. of sjunga, 'to sing.'
 * -align=center
 * ||Imperfect. || Supine.
 * (att) duga, to be fit for,|| dugde or dög,  || dugat or dugt.
 * (att) heta, to be called, || hette or het,  || hetat.
 * (att) lefva, to live,      ||lefde or lefte,|| lefvat or left.
 * }
 * (att) lefva, to live,      ||lefde or lefte,|| lefvat or left.
 * }
 * }

Contractions are of frequent occurrence even among the best speakers and writers; as, bli, ta, dra, gi, for blifva, taga, draga, gifva; blir, tar, drar, for blifver, tager, drager, gifver; and vi, de, bli, ta, dra, I blin, tan, dran, for vi, de bifva, taga, draga, I blifven, tagen, dragen.

The personal termination er is always dropped in gala, 'to crow;' mala, 'to grind;' fara, befara 'to go, travel;' skära, 'to cut;' stjäla, 'to steal,' etc.

The place of the adverb in Swedish is in many cases identical with that which it occupies in English; as, den unga flickan taler väl, 'the young girl speaks well;' dagen derpå, gik han bort, 'the day after, he went away;' glädjen är förbi, 'the pleasure is over;' der du är, der vil jag vara! 'where you are, there I will be!'