The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #118662   Message #2568412
Posted By: peregrina
16-Feb-09 - 02:11 PM
Thread Name: BS: English grammar question
Subject: RE: BS: English grammar question
Jim, yes, regular and irregular are the terms for contemporary English usage. But the origin of the difference is in Old English and the distinction there--in both US and UK handbooks of Old English grammar-- is that between strong and weak verbs. The strong verbs' principal parts show more variation, but a number of different regular patterns so they are not strictly irregular.