[*] 179. The forms of the several conjugations from which, by adding the verb-endings in § 166, all the moods and tenses can be made are as follows:— [*] a. The First Conjugation includes all verbs which add ā- to the root to form the present stem:1 as, amā-re; with a few whose root ends in a (†for, fā-rī; flō, flā-re; nō, nā-re; stō, stā-re).
- The stem-vowel ā- is lost before -ō: as, amō = †amā-( y )ō; and in the present subjunctive it is changed to ē: as, amē-s , amē-mus .
- The perfect stem regularly adds v, the supine stemt, to the present stem: as, amā-v-ī , amā-t-um . For exceptions, see § 209. a.
- In the present subjunctive ā is added to the verb-stem: as, mone-ā-s , mone-ā-mus (cf. § 168. e).
- A few verbs form the perfect stem by adding v( u ), and the supine stem by adding t, to the present stem: as, dēlē-v-ī , dēlē-t-um . But most form the perfect stem by adding v( u ) to the root, and the supine stem by adding t to a weaker form of the present stem, ending in ĭ: as, mon-u-ī , monĭ-t-um. For lists, see § 210.
- The stem-vowel ĕ is regularly lost before -ō, and becomes u2 before -nt and ĭ before the other endings of the indicative and imperative: as, teg-ō , tegi-t , tegu-nt; in the imperfect indicative it becomes ē: as, tegēbam , tegē-bās , etc.; in the future, ē: as, tegē-s (except in the first person singular, tega-m, tega-r); in the present subjunctive, ā: as, tegā-s . Verbs in -iō lose the i before a consonant and also before ĭ, ī, and ĕ (except in the future, the participle, the gerund, and the gerundive). Thus, capi-at , capi-unt , capi-ēbat, capi-ēs , capi-et , capi-ent; but, cap-it (not †capi-it ), cap-eret .
- All varieties of perfect and supine stems are found in this conjugation. See lists, § 211. The perfect is not formed from the present stem, but from the root.