Borrowed from Middle Low German tergen, or possibly from Middle High German *zergen, from Old High German zergen (“to irritate, tease, provoke”), from Proto-West Germanic *targijan, from Proto-Germanic *targijaną. Cognate with Dutch tergen and English tarry.
zergen (weak, third-person singular present zergt, past tense zergte, past participle gezergt, auxiliary haben)
infinitive | zergen | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
present participle | zergend | ||||
past participle | gezergt | ||||
auxiliary | haben | ||||
indicative | subjunctive | ||||
singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
present | ich zerge | wir zergen | i | ich zerge | wir zergen |
du zergst | ihr zergt | du zergest | ihr zerget | ||
er zergt | sie zergen | er zerge | sie zergen | ||
preterite | ich zergte | wir zergten | ii | ich zergte1 | wir zergten1 |
du zergtest | ihr zergtet | du zergtest1 | ihr zergtet1 | ||
er zergte | sie zergten | er zergte1 | sie zergten1 | ||
imperative | zerg (du) zerge (du) |
zergt (ihr) |
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.