desfaire

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French desfaire.

Verb

desfaire

1. to undo
2. to undo; to untie (a knot, a fastening)

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Conjugation of desfaire

infinitive	simple	desfaire
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	desfaisant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		desfait, desfaict
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	desfais	desfais	desfait, desfet	desfaisons	desfaites	desfont
	imperfect	desfaisois, desfaisoys	desfaisois, desfaisoys	desfaisoit, desfaisoyt	desfaisions	desfaisiez	desfaisoient, desfaisoyent
	past historic	desfis	desfis	desfit	desfismes	desfistes	desfirent
	future	desferoie, desferoye	desferas	desfera	desferons	desferez	desferont
	conditional	desferois, desferoys	desferois, desferoys	desferoit, desferoyt	desferions	desferiez	desferoient, desferoyent
(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	desface	desfaces	desface	desfacions	desfaciez	desfacent
	imperfect	desfisse	desfisses	desfist	desfissions	desfissiez	desfissent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	desfais	—	desfaisons	desfaites	—
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).

Occitan

Verb

desfaire

1. Alternative form of desfar

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Old French

Alternative forms

• desfere
• deffaire

Etymology

des- +‎ faire, possibly from Vulgar Latin *disfaciō, from Latin dis- + faciō.

Verb

desfaire

1. to undo
2. to defeat

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of desfaire (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		desfaire			avoir desfait
gerund		en desfaisant			gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle		desfaisant
past participle		desfait
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	desfaz, desfai	desfais	desfait	desfaimes, desfaisons	desfaites	desfont
	imperfect	desfaisoie, desfaiseie	desfaisoies, desfaiseies	desfaisoit, desfaiseit	desfaisiiens, desfaisiens	desfaisiiez, desfaisiez	desfaisoient, desfaiseient
	preterite	desfis	desfeṣis	desfist	desfeṣimes	desfeṣistes	desfirent
	future	desferai	desferas	desfera	desferons	desferoiz, desfereiz, desferez	desferont
	conditional	desferoie, desfereie	desferoies, desfereies	desferoit, desfereit	desferiiens, desferiens	desferiiez, desferiez	desferoient, desfereient
compound tenses	present perfect	present tense of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	preterite tense of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future tense of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que jo	que tu	qu’il	que nos	que vos	qu’il
simple tenses	present	desface	desfaces	desface	desfaciens, desfaçons	desfaciez	desfacent
	imperfect	desfeṣisse	desfeṣisses	desfeṣist	desfeṣissons, desfeṣissiens	desfeṣissoiz, desfeṣissez, desfeṣissiez	desfeṣissent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	desfa	—	desfaimes, desfaisons	desfaites	—

Descendants

• English: defeat (from past participle)
• Middle French: desfaire
  • French: défaire
  • English: defease