Perhaps the most beguiling verb in the entire Latin language is eī, the verb meaning “to go.” It is tiny. In fact, it looks like a set of endings in search of a stem!

Table 12-3 The Verb eō, ī re, iī , itum (to go)

There are a few noteworthy points for this verb:

• Eī is the only verb whose stem for the imperfect and perfect tenses ends in -i-.

• The perfect stem is occasionally iv- instead of i- (e.g., ivit for iit).

• It is usually seen with a prefix. (e.g., exe ī, “to go out”)

Because of the clipped nature of eī, most Romance languages opted to keep a different verb — vadī, vadere (to plod) — in many or most of the forms for their verb meaning “to go.” For example, to say “you go” in Spanish is túvas; Italian, tu vai; French, tu vais.