By surface analysis, es- + face + -ier, perhaps corresponding to a Vulgar Latin *exfaciāre (literally “deface”), from Latin faciēs (“face, visage”). Parallel to, or cognate with, Italian sfacciare. (The semantics, however, suggest separate developments.) Less likely related to Galician esfachar.
esfacier
This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -ier, with a palatal stem. These verbs are conjugated mostly like verbs in -er, but there is an extra i before the e of some endings. The forms that would normally end in *-c, *-cs, *-ct are modified to z, z, zt. In addition, c becomes ç before an a, o or u to keep the /ts/ sound intact. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | esfacier | avoir esfacié | |||||
| gerund | en esfaçant | gerund of avoir + past participle | |||||
| present participle | esfaçant | ||||||
| past participle | esfacié | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | il | nos | vos | il | |
| simple tenses |
present | esfaz | esfaces | esface | esfaçons | esfaciez | esfacent |
| imperfect | esfaçoie, esfaceie, esfaçoe, esfacieve | esfaçoies, esfaceies, esfaçoes, esfacieves | esfaçoit, esfaceit, esfaçot, esfacieve | esfaciiens, esfaciens | esfaciiez, esfaciez | esfaçoient, esfaceient, esfaçoent, esfacievent | |
| preterite | esfaçai | esfaças | esfaça | esfaçames | esfaçastes | esfacierent | |
| future | esfacerai | esfaceras | esfacera | esfacerons | esfaceroiz, esfacereiz, esfacerez | esfaceront | |
| conditional | esfaceroie, esfacereie | esfaceroies, esfacereies | esfaceroit, esfacereit | esfaceriiens, esfaceriens | esfaceriiez, esfaceriez | esfaceroient, esfacereient | |
| 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 | esfaz | esfaz | esfazt | esfaçons | esfaciez | esfacent |
| imperfect | esfaçasse | esfaçasses | esfaçast | esfacissons, esfacissiens | esfacissoiz, esfacissez, esfacissiez | esfaçassent | |
| compound tenses |
past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nos | vos | – | |
| — | esface | — | esfaçons | esfaciez | — | ||