Unknown. The original form must have been baetō, with regular reduction to -bītō in non-initial syllables (later extended to the simple verb, as with fessus), while bētō is due to rural monophthongisation. See also arbiter.
baetō (present infinitive baetere); third conjugation, no passive, no perfect or supine stem
indicative | singular | plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
active | present | baetō | baetis | baetit | baetimus | baetitis | baetunt |
imperfect | baetēbam | baetēbās | baetēbat | baetēbāmus | baetēbātis | baetēbant | |
future | baetam | baetēs | baetet | baetēmus | baetētis | baetent | |
sigmatic future1 | baesō | baesis | baesit | baesimus | baesitis | baesint | |
subjunctive | singular | plural | |||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
active | present | baetam | baetās | baetat | baetāmus | baetātis | baetant |
imperfect | baeterem | baeterēs | baeteret | baeterēmus | baeterētis | baeterent | |
sigmatic aorist1 | baesim | baesīs | baesīt | baesīmus | baesītis | baesint | |
imperative | singular | plural | |||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
active | present | — | baete | — | — | baetite | — |
future | — | baetitō | baetitō | — | baetitōte | baetuntō | |
non-finite forms | active | passive | |||||
present | perfect | future | present | perfect | future | ||
infinitives | baetere | — | — | — | — | — | |
participles | baetēns | — | — | — | — | — | |
verbal nouns | gerund | supine | |||||
genitive | dative | accusative | ablative | accusative | ablative | ||
baetendī | baetendō | baetendum | baetendō | — | — |
1At least one use of the archaic "sigmatic future" and "sigmatic aorist" tenses is attested, which are used by Old Latin writers; most notably Plautus and Terence. The sigmatic future is generally ascribed a future or future perfect meaning, while the sigmatic aorist expresses a possible desire ("might want to").