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Are there other verbs like “be” and “go”?

English Language & Usage Asked on August 31, 2021

The verbs be and go have the nice peculiarity that their various forms (be/was and go/went) come from originally distinct verbs. Are there other such verbs?

2 Answers

I guess not. As stated here:

Go is an irregular verb. Along with be, go is one of only two verbs with a suppletive past tense in the English language."

(The link for "suppletive" will point you to the "suppletion" wiki page, where there are examples, also for other languages. Suppletion also applies to adjectives, nouns, etc.)

This is another page for the English suppletive verbs, which are only two.

Correct answer by Alenanno on August 31, 2021

The past participle forms has awoke and has awoken seem to have almost completely vanished from the English language, but there are lots of people who use the past tense awoke (See Ngram), which means that some people must conjugate awake as

awake, awoke, has awakened.

These forms are from what were originally two different, although very closely related verbs, awake and awaken.

Answered by Peter Shor on August 31, 2021

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