preterite-present verb

A type of verb specific to Germanic languages in which the forms of the present tense resemble the forms normally found in the preterite (or past) tense of strong verbs. In modern English these are principally can, may, shall, will; one can also include the other verbs that do not (or not always) take -s in the third-person singular: dare, must, need, ought. The only non-modal preterite-present verb is an archaic verb wit.