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Recently I've noticed several verbs where the imperative form is used in a way
that is not the "correct" conjugation.

>   1. くれる → くれ！ → The one we're all used to
>   2. つける → つけ！ → An example from my プログレッシブ dictionary: 「気をつけ」と先生が号令をかけた。
>   3. はじめる → はじめ！ → Said often by Master Splinter when the Teenage Mutant
> Ninja Turtles have training sessions in [Nickelodeon's newest incarnation of
> the series](http://www.nick.com/ninja-turtles/).
>

With #1, I don't know if I've ever learned _why_ this is the standard
conjugation. Is it just because it sounds more natural? With the latter two,
I'm assuming that these are acceptable because maybe in 戦前/classical Japanese,
はじむ existed as a real word, and つく could be used both as a transitive and
intransitive verb; (both) similar to what we discuss
[here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/5506/78) and
[here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/12837/78).

I have to admit that hearing `はじめ!` in those TMNT episodes sounded completely
natural to me, and it didn't even click for a long time that it was not the
命令形 I was expecting. Even `つけ` sounds very natural when used as a 他動詞.

So I guess my question is, is there a limited set of verbs where the
imperative is "different", yet acceptable to use even in modern Japanese? If
my assumption about #2 and #3 is correct, can _any_ verb with an "obsolete"
form use the imperative conjugation of that form? What are some other common
verbs with different imperative forms like this (if any)?
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question
verbs classical-japanese imperatives
"Irregular" 命令形 of some verbs
# ～くれ

The word, `くれ`, is a special word. The original form of this is `くれる (呉れる)`
and the imperative form is `くれろ`, while it's a deprecated expression.

[According to Daijirin](http://goo.gl/W5FI8z):

> 〔命令形は「くれ」が普通〕
>
>   3.
> その動作者{どうさしゃ}が話{はな}し手{て}または話題{わだい}の人物{じんぶつ}のために何{なん}らかの動作{どうさ}をすることを表{あらわ}す
>
> (Translation: [`くれ` is general in imperative form]
>
> This means that the hearer do thing for speaker or another person.)
>
>

Daijirin says that `くれ` is general and it implies that `くれ` is a special case.

[According to Wikipedia](http://goo.gl/i6XVBl):

>
> ラ行{ぎょう}下一段{しもいちだん}活用{かつよう}に属{ぞく}する「呉（く）れる」は、一般{いっぱん}に命令形{めいれいけい}が「くれ」となる。ただし方言{ほうげん}や古{ふる}い口語{こうご}では「くれろ」となることもある。
>
> (Translation: `くれる` belong to ラ行{ぎょう}下一段{しもいちだん}活用{かつよう} group. Its
> imperative form is `くれ` generally. But in some dialects or old use, it will
> be `くれろ` sometimes.)

My impression is that this word has varied in special way like `する` and
`来{く}る`.

`する` belong to the unique conjugation called `サ行{ぎょう}変格{へんかく}活用{かつよう}`, and
only this word belongs to this conjugation group. Also `来{く}る` belongs
`カ行変格活用` in similar way.

Both `する` and `来る` have varied in special way because they are very very old
word and are used very often.

# 気をつけ

The example you showed, `気{き}をつけ`, is spoken by captain, leader, teacher and
some person like them. I think `気をつけ` is used like noun because person like
teachers use this word like below when they make children stand at attention:

> 気をつけ しよう。
>
> 気をつけの 姿勢{しせい}に なって。
>
> (Both can be translated as: Stand at attention.)

It is interesting that `気をつけろ` doesn't mean `Stand at attention.`; it simply
means `Pay attention.`

# はじめ

Person like teachers use this when an exam begins. For example:

> (試験{しけん}、)はじめ！
>
> (Translation: Begin your exam.)

It's similar to `気をつけ` and used widely. We can declare the beginning of
something with this, while `気をつけ` means only `Stand at attention.`

> 用意{ようい}、はじめ！
>
> (Translation: Get set, go! / start!)

# Another example: やめ

This and `はじめ` are used together in many cases. It's similar to `気をつけ` and
`はじめ` that it's used like a noun.

> 試験、はじめ！ -> やめ！
>
> (Translation: Begin your exam. -> Stop writing.)

# EDIT

In the other words, I wanted to say that:

  * `くれ` is a conjugation of `くれる`.

  * `つけ` is NOT a conjugation of `つける`; it's a noun. But on `気をつけ`, Japanese includes me feel like whole `気をつけ` constructs one noun. Here is a [reference](http://goo.gl/aML1aD).

  * `はじめ` is NOT a conjugation of `はじめる`; it's also a noun. Declaring the beginning of something with this word is a special use.

  * `やめ` is NOT a conjugation of `やめる`. Furthermore, `やめ`, `やめろ` and `やむ` are not a conjugation of each other except a few cases (the cases are written below).

> [やめ](http://goo.gl/pMZir1) = (noun) やめること。中止{ちゅうし}。とりやめ。
>
> [やめる](http://goo.gl/irF68o) = ( _transitive_ verb) 1.
> 続{つづ}けてきたことを，終{お}わりにする。 2. しようとしていたことを，しないことにする。
>
> [やむ](http://goo.gl/XQrFSv) = ( _intransitive_ verb) 1.
> それまで続{つづ}いていたことが，切{き}れて続{つづ}かなくなる。 … 〔「止{や}める」に対{たい}する自動詞{じどうし}〕

In old Japanese, `やむ` has a transitive meaning. In modern Japanese, the
transitive meaning is no longer available.

Why traffic signs say `とまれ` instead of `やめろ` is that `とまれ` and `やめろ` is a
different word (even if they use same Kanji `止`.)

  * Basic meanings

> やめろ (Stop doing that. (To a human))
>
> とまれ (Stop moving. (To something moving, not only a human))
>
> とめろ (Stop moving something. (To a human))

  * Example of above

> 私は車を運転するのをやめる。 (I stop driving a car.)
>
> 車がとまる。 (A car stops.)
>
> 私は車をとめる。 (I stop a car.)

Well, I thought it's funny that the sign doesn't ask human to stop his/her
car. But any way, the word on traffic sign is `とまれ`.

### A exception of use of `やめ`

In a few cases, `やめ` is used like a imperative verb. The targets are the
nature or some _awesome_ things in most cases.

> 雨{あめ}よ止{や}め！ (Stop raining! (To the nature)) 木枯{こが}らしよ止{や}め！ (Stop blowing!
> (To the nature))
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answer