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Webster 1913 Edition
Espier
Es-pi′er
,Noun.
One who espies.
Harmar.
Definition 2024
espier
espier
English
Noun
espier (plural espiers)
- One who espies.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Harmar to this entry?)
Middle French
Verb
espier
- to watch
Conjugation
- Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of espier
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | espier | avoir espié | |||||
| gerund | en espiant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | espiant | ||||||
| past participle | espié | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | ie (may be i' before a vowel) | tu | il | nous | vous | ilz, elles | |
| simple tenses |
present | espie | espies | espie | espions | espiez | espient |
| imperfect | espiois, espioys | espiois, espioys | espioit, espioyt | espiions, espiyons | espiiez, espiyez | espioient, espioyent | |
| past historic | espia | espias | espia | espiasmes | espiastes | espierent | |
| future | espierai, espieray | espieras | espiera | espierons | espierez | espieront | |
| conditional | espierois, espieroys | espierois, espieroys | espieroit, espieroyt | espierions, espieryons | espieriez, espieryez | espieroient, espieroyent | |
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que ie | que tu | qu'il | que nous | que vous | qu'ilz, qu'elles | |
| simple tenses |
present | espie | espies | espie | espions | espiez | espient |
| imperfect | espiasse | espiasses | espiast | espiassions | espiassiez | espiassent | |
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | espie | — | espions | espiez | — | ||
Old French
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin *spiāre, from Frankish *spehōn, from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to spy”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”).
Verb
espier
- to watch
Conjugation
This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
Conjugation of espier (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | espier | avoir espïé | |||||
| gerund | en espiant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | espiant | ||||||
| past participle | espïé | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | il | nos | vos | il | |
| simple tenses |
present | espi | espïes | espïe | espions | espïez | espïent |
| imperfect | espioie, espïeie, espioe, espïeve | espioies, espïeies, espioes, espïeves | espioit, espïeit, espiot, espïeve | espiiiens, espiiens | espiiiez, espiiez | espioient, espïeient, espioent, espïevent | |
| preterite | espiai | espias | espia | espiames | espiastes | espïerent | |
| future | espïerai | espïeras | espïera | espïerons | espïeroiz, espïereiz, espïerez | espïeront | |
| conditional | espïeroie, espïereie | espïeroies, espïereies | espïeroit, espïereit | espïeriiens, espïeriens | espïeriiez, espïeriez | espïeroient, espïereient | |
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | Use the preterite tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que jo | que tu | qu’il | que nos | que vos | qu’il | |
| simple tenses |
present | espi | espis | espit | espions | espïez | espïent |
| imperfect | espiasse | espiasses | espiast | espiissons, espiissiens | espiissoiz, espiissez, espiissiez | espiassent | |
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nos | vos | – | |
| — | espïe | — | espions | espïez | — | ||