espier
English
Etymology
espy + -er
Noun
espier (plural espiers)
- One who espies.
- 1885, Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets […] :
- but would himself be a seer, an espier of future events
-
References
- espier in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Anagrams
- Peirse, Pierse, peries
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
infinitive | simple | espier | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
compound | avoir + past participle | ||||||
present participle1 or gerund2 | simple | espiant | |||||
compound | present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle | ||||||
past participle | espié | ||||||
singular | plural | ||||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
indicative | ie (i’) | tu | il, elle | 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 | present indicative of avoir + past participle | |||||
pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle | ||||||
past anterior | past historic of avoir + past participle | ||||||
future perfect | future of avoir + past participle | ||||||
conditional perfect | conditional of avoir + past participle | ||||||
subjunctive | que ie (i’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | 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 | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
pluperfect | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
imperative | – | – | – | ||||
simple | — | espie | — | espions | espiez | — | |
compound | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | |
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679. | |||||||
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180). |
Old French
Alternative forms
- aspier
- espeier, espoier
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin *spiō (“to spy, espy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy, watch”).
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 | — |
Synonyms
- esguarder
- reguarder
Related terms
- espie
Descendants
- Angevin: échaupier
- Bourbonnais-Berrichon: épiger (Berrichon, Bourbonnais)
- Middle French: espier
- French: épier
- Haitian Creole: espyon
- French: épier
- Lorrain: h'pié, khpiyé, khpwé
- Norman: êpier
- Picard: èpieu (Athois)
- Walloon: spwè
- → Middle English: aspien, aspyen, espien, espyen, spien
- English: aspy, espy, spy
- Scots: aspy, espy, spy
- → Welsh: sbio, ysbïo