espouser

English

Etymology

From espouse +‎ -er.

Noun

espouser (plural espousers)

1. One who espouses; one who embraces or adopts a cause.

Further reading

• “espouser”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• repoussé

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French espouser, from Latin spōnsāre, present active infinitive of spōnsō.

Verb

espouser

1. (transitive) to marry

Conjugation

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

Conjugation of espouser

infinitive	simple	espouser
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	espousant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		espousé
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	espouse	espouses	espouse	espousons	espousez	espousent
	imperfect	espousois, espousoys	espousois, espousoys	espousoit, espousoyt	espousions, espousyons	espousiez, espousyez	espousoient, espousoyent
	past historic	espousa	espousas	espousa	espousasmes	espousastes	espouserent
	future	espouserai, espouseray	espouseras	espousera	espouserons	espouserez	espouseront
	conditional	espouserois, espouseroys	espouserois, espouseroys	espouseroit, espouseroyt	espouserions, espouseryons	espouseriez, espouseryez	espouseroient, espouseroyent
(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	espouse	espouses	espouse	espousons	espousez	espousent
	imperfect	espousasse	espousasses	espousast	espousassions	espousassiez	espousassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	espouse	—	espousons	espousez	—
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).

Synonyms

• marier

Descendants

• French: épouser

Old French

Etymology

From Latin spōnsāre, present active infinitive of spōnsō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /espɔwˈzeːɾ/

Verb

espouser

1. (transitive) to marry

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-ss, *-st are modified to s, st. This verb has a stressed present stem espeus distinct from the unstressed stem espous. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

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

		simple			compound
infinitive		espouser			avoir espousé
gerund		en espousant			gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle		espousant
past participle		espousé
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	espeus	espeuses	espeuse	espousons	espousez	espeusent
	imperfect	espousoie, espouseie, espousoe, espouseve	espousoies, espouseies, espousoes, espouseves	espousoit, espouseit, espousot, espouseve	espousiiens, espousiens	espousiiez, espousiez	espousoient, espouseient, espousoent, espousevent
	preterite	espousai	espousas	espousa	espousames	espousastes	espouserent
	future	espouserai	espouseras	espousera	espouserons	espouseroiz, espousereiz, espouserez	espouseront
	conditional	espouseroie, espousereie	espouseroies, espousereies	espouseroit, espousereit	espouseriiens, espouseriens	espouseriiez, espouseriez	espouseroient, espousereient
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	espeus	espeus	espeust	espousons	espousez	espeusent
	imperfect	espousasse	espousasses	espousast	espousissons, espousissiens	espousissoiz, espousissez, espousissiez	espousassent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	espeuse	—	espousons	espousez	—

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:espouser.

Synonyms

• marier

Descendants

• Middle French: espouser
  • French: épouser
• Walloon: spozer
• → Middle English: espousen
  • English: to espouse