stubborn archaisms
No matter how hard I try, I cannot get my brain to always use “spun” as the past tense of “spin.” Under a lot of conditions, my brain insists it should be “span.” Which is apparently formally obsolete.
I’ll have to see if my library’s web site has access to the OED Online since it seems to be behind a goddamn paywall.
In other places I skimmed, it was said that it appeared in a lot of old literature. I devoured old literature in my teens-- far more than more “modern” works-- so I wonder if that’s how I picked it up.
My brain wants to use “spun” as an adjective only, I think. Like “spun wool.” I have to forcibly change usage. And I’m not always conscious of it.
But my brain likes the pattern like ring=rang, sing=sang, sink=sank. All of those have been migrating to use U instead of A in past tense (rung, sung, sunk) and my brain HATES IT.
I have a lot of archaisms rattling around in my brain, apparently. My 2nd grade teacher taught us the plural of “roof” was “rooves,” like “hoof=hooves,” so even though I have retrained myself to use “roofs” I sometimes twitch at it.
Language is wild.
