Comments on: drug/dragged http://www.grammarerrors.com/grammar/drugdragged/ Common usage errors in English Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:18:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rachel V. http://www.grammarerrors.com/grammar/drugdragged/comment-page-1/#comment-743 Rachel V. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:45:51 +0000 http://www.grammarerrors.com/wordpress/?p=189#comment-743 Thank you for commenting and providing a history of <em>drug</em> and <em>dragged</em>. I chose to include <em>drug</em> as an error because it is considered "nonstandard," as you quoted the <em>OED</em> as classifying it. <em>Drug</em> could be considered acceptable for informal writing and conversation, but <em>dragged</em> is probably the better choice in educated settings. Thank you for commenting and providing a history of drug and dragged. I chose to include drug as an error because it is considered “nonstandard,” as you quoted the OED as classifying it. Drug could be considered acceptable for informal writing and conversation, but dragged is probably the better choice in educated settings.

]]> By: AnWulf http://www.grammarerrors.com/grammar/drugdragged/comment-page-1/#comment-742 AnWulf Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:55:53 +0000 http://www.grammarerrors.com/wordpress/?p=189#comment-742 If you use dragged instead of drug you're just a weakling ... you've changed a strong verb to a weak verb. Use drug and be proud! Interesting enough, Oxford English Dictionary says that the verb to drag was not known before the 15th century. Now I don't know how that can be since it obviously (to me) comes from the OE verb dragan. The OED lists a separate verb to drug (meaning to drag). If nothing else, then the use of "drug" as the past tense of drag represents a fusion of two separate words that also has produced pairs like go-went (the original past tense of go changed to "went" which was the past tense of "to wend" and be-was. However, I think it was simply a split in pronunciation and thus a vowel change due to a lack of standards since English had superseded by Norman French and Latin. The verb to drug (meaning to drag) shows up in literature to c1250 in "Lofsong Lefdi". I can't tell when people started using dragged instead of drug (drog) for the past tense ... But obviously it was still common enough when people settled in the US. Regardless coming out of OE, it was a strong verb and, IMO, should still be one in Modern English. OED also states: drug also occurs as a past tense and past participle form of drag v. in nonstandard and regional use (especially U.S. regional (southern and Midland)). Germanic ablaut formation, OE dragan is a cognate to German tragen, past tense: trug. OE dragan dragan Strong sv/t6, to drag, draw 3rd pres drægð;*** past drog/on***; ptp gedragen sv/i6 to draw oneself, to draw, go protract Verb Present Tense ic/I dræge þu/thou drægest he/hit/heo he/it/she drægeþ we/ge/hie we/ye/they drægaþ Preterite Tense ic i dróg þu/thou dróge he/hit/heo he/it/she dróg we/ge/hie we/ye/they drógon If you use dragged instead of drug you’re just a weakling … you’ve changed a strong verb to a weak verb.

Use drug and be proud!

Interesting enough, Oxford English Dictionary says that the verb to drag was not known before the 15th century. Now I don’t know how that can be since it obviously (to me) comes from the OE verb dragan.

The OED lists a separate verb to drug (meaning to drag). If nothing else, then the use of “drug” as the past tense of drag represents a fusion of two separate words that also has produced pairs like go-went (the original past tense of go changed to “went” which was the past tense of “to wend” and be-was. However, I think it was simply a split in pronunciation and thus a vowel change due to a lack of standards since English had superseded by Norman French and Latin.

The verb to drug (meaning to drag) shows up in literature to c1250 in “Lofsong Lefdi”.

I can’t tell when people started using dragged instead of drug (drog) for the past tense … But obviously it was still common enough when people settled in the US. Regardless coming out of OE, it was a strong verb and, IMO, should still be one in Modern English.

OED also states: drug also occurs as a past tense and past participle form of drag v. in nonstandard and regional use (especially U.S. regional (southern and Midland)).

Germanic ablaut formation, OE dragan is a cognate to German tragen, past tense: trug.

OE dragan

dragan Strong sv/t6, to drag, draw
3rd pres drægð;*** past drog/on***; ptp gedragen
sv/i6 to draw oneself, to draw, go protract

Verb
Present Tense
ic/I dræge
þu/thou drægest
he/hit/heo he/it/she drægeþ
we/ge/hie we/ye/they drægaþ

Preterite Tense
ic i dróg
þu/thou dróge
he/hit/heo he/it/she dróg
we/ge/hie we/ye/they drógon

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