History of the English language
Suppletion
Present in languages of different families. Present in Old, Middle and Modern English,
though the general tendency is towards more regularity/iconicity so the number of
suppletive forms has decreased.In the text: goon to go wenden - to turn
Gan was suppletive in Old English, past form: eode.Eode was supplanted by went (past
form of wenden) at the end of the Middle English period.To wend has survived in Modern
English in phrases such as to wend one's way, we wended homewards (ironic usage).
Thus: suppletivity- suppletion different parts of one and the same paradigm come from
what were originally different paradigms (different words with close meanings or words in
different but close dialects).Suppletion embraces verbs, adjectives, nouns.
Be was/were been (Old English beon/wesan)
(am, art, is, are); in Old English some suppletive
forms were used parallel to one another)
Good better best
Bad worse worst
Much more most
Little less least
annaabi.ee 
