esforcier

From Vulgar Latin *exfortiāre, ultimately from Latin fortis (“strong”).

esforcier

1. to try; to make a large effort
2. to use force
3. to rape
4. to fortify; to reinforce
5. to force (someone to do something)
6. (reflexive, s'esforcier) to try; to attempt
   • 13^th Century, Author unknown, Le Vilain mire:

     Et la pucele qui ce voit,
     A tout le mal qu'ele sentoit,
     Vout rire, si s'en esforça
     Que de la bouche li vola
     L'areste hors enz el brasier.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • c. 1250, Rutebeuf, Ci encoumence la vie de Sainte Elyzabel, fille au roi de Hongrie:

     Sachiez, ce mes oncles m'esforce
     Que je preigne mari a force,
     Je m'enfuirai en aucun leu

     Know that if my uncle forces me
     To take a husband against my will
     I will flee to any place

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.

• esfort

• force

• French: efforcer

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (esforcier)