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| | The Past-Tense Verb in the Noldorin of the Etymologies |
 | | The weak past tense, which class includes chiefly verbs arising from derived verb-stems (that is, verb-stems formed from a root by suffixion of some derivational element, such as *‑ā, *‑tā, *‑yā, etc.), is characterized by the lack of root syllable strengthening and the suffixion of some past-tense marker, very often *‑nē. |
 | | The strong past tense, which class includes chiefly verbs arising directly from basic stems (that is, verb-stems arising directly from simple bases with verbal meaning, such as KAT- shape, BAT- tread, SUK- drink, etc.), is characterized by lengthening or otherwise strengthening the root syllable and suffixion of original final *‑ē. |
 | | Within the strong past tense there are, again, two chief means of root strengthening: a) lengthening or fortification of the root vowel, and b) nasal infixion. |
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