Is there a past simpe of must?

[Assurbanipal_II]

Does anyone here perchance know more about the past simple use of must? Was it common? When did it disappear? Do you have any examples?

 

[J_Chemist]

You mean like an old timer word for it? From back in the ages?

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

You mean like an old timer word for it? From back in the ages?

Any information is appreciated. Particularly, literary usage.

It is pretty clear that the past simple form of must is must. The question is whether it was used or not.

 

[Stealthy_Enigma]

Any information is appreciated. Particularly, literary usage.

It is pretty clear that the past simple form of must is must. The question is whether it was used or not.

I think the word/phrase you are looking for is either had to or should have.

Since the must has become past tense, meaning that it is incomplete, those phrases would be used instead.

At least that is my opinion as an English speaker, so you can take it with a grain of salt (whether that is proper grammar or not)...

As for the history/origions of usage, that is something that I have no clue on...

Examples:

I must buy those groceries after school, or my mom will be mad!!!

꧁Some time later...facing a lecture on time management꧂

Drats!!! I should have bought those groceries...
I knew I forgot something...

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I think the word/phrase you are looking for is either had to or should have.

Since the must has become past tense, meaning that it is incomplete, those phrases would be used instead.

At least that is my opinion as an English speaker, so you can take it with a grain of salt (whether that is proper grammar or not)...

As for the history/origions of usage, that is something that I have no clue on...

Examples:

I must buy those groceries after school, or my mom will be mad!!!

꧁Some time later...facing a lecture on time management꧂

Drats!!! I should have bought those groceries...
I knew I forgot something...

Thanks for your input. Here my two cents.

The thing is that the situation is complicated.

Grammatically speaking, must is already and was originally a past simple form of the now forgotten present tense verb moste from Middle English.

Must is past simple.

Moste is present tense.

Now must has acquired present tense use like many other modal verbs such as could, should or might.

They are past simple forms of the respective modal verbs can, shall and may. But here the present forms survived, but such is not the case for must.

Anyway, thus substitutions are used for must that are not properly grammatical. Had to derives from has to.

Constructions such as must have, should have, could have are not past constructions, but rather present perfect derivatives. You can tell by the auxiliary verb use of have. They are present forms that link the past to present and not past simple per se.

So the question is, how long was must used in its original past simple form? When did its use end?

For example, you find must in this sense still in the King James Bible

And the time drew nigh that Israel must die, and he called his sonne Ioseph, and said vnto him, If now I haue found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand vnder my thigh, and deale kindly and truely with mee, bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.

 

[Stealthy_Enigma]

Thanks for your input. Here my two cents.

The thing is that the situation is complicated.

Grammatically speaking, must is already and was originally a past simple form of the now forgotten present tense verb moste from Middle English.

Must is past simple.

Moste is present tense.

Now must has acquired present tense use like many other modal verbs such as could, should or might.

They are past simple forms of the respective modal verbs can, shall and may. But here the present forms survived, but such is not the case for must.

Anyway, thus substitutions are used for must that are not properly grammatical. Had to derives from has to.

Constructions such as must have, should have, could have are not past constructions, but rather present perfect derivatives. You can tell by the auxiliary verb use of have. They are present forms that link the past to present and not past simple per se.

So the question is, how long was must used in its original past simple form? When did its use end?

For example, you find must in this sense still in the King James Bible

And the time drew nigh that Israel must die, and he called his sonne Ioseph, and said vnto him, If now I haue found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand vnder my thigh, and deale kindly and truely with mee, bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.

This is the best I could find...

˝/\___/\˝
(❀;≖﹏≖)
/˙˙˙˙˙⊃⊂\

Must - Etymology, Origin & Meaning

"be obliged, be necessarily impelled," from Old English moste, past tense of motan "have… See origin and meaning of must.

www.etymonline.com

 

[Cipiteca396]

Is 'ought' the word you're looking for?

Typically I just write, 'must have', so I'd actually like to know if there's a better choice too, lol.