encontrer

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French encontrer.

Verb

encontrer

1. to meet
   • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 38:

     tant chevaucha qu'il encontra ung chevalier

     when he got on his horse, he met a knight

Conjugation

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

Conjugation of encontrer

infinitive	simple	encontrer
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	encontrant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		encontré
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	encontre	encontres	encontre	encontrons	encontrez	encontrent
	imperfect	encontrois, encontroys	encontrois, encontroys	encontroit, encontroyt	encontrions, encontryons	encontriez, encontryez	encontroient, encontroyent
	past historic	encontra	encontras	encontra	encontrasmes	encontrastes	encontrerent
	future	encontrerai, encontreray	encontreras	encontrera	encontrerons	encontrerez	encontreront
	conditional	encontrerois, encontreroys	encontrerois, encontreroys	encontreroit, encontreroyt	encontrerions, encontreryons	encontreriez, encontreryez	encontreroient, encontreroyent
(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	encontre	encontres	encontre	encontrons	encontrez	encontrent
	imperfect	encontrasse	encontrasses	encontrast	encontrassions	encontrassiez	encontrassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	encontre	—	encontrons	encontrez	—
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

Etymology

Compare Spanish and Portuguese encontrar or Italian incontrare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /enkunˈtɾeːɾ/

Verb

encontrer

1. to meet; to encounter
2. (by extension) to meet in battle; to combat

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. In the present tense an extra supporting e is needed in the first-person singular indicative and throughout the singular subjunctive, and the third-person singular subjunctive ending -t is lost. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

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

		simple			compound
infinitive		encontrer			avoir encontré
gerund		en encontrant			gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle		encontrant
past participle		encontré
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	encontre	encontres	encontre	encontrons	encontrez	encontrent
	imperfect	encontroie, encontreie, encontroe, encontreve	encontroies, encontreies, encontroes, encontreves	encontroit, encontreit, encontrot, encontreve	encontriiens, encontriens	encontriiez, encontriez	encontroient, encontreient, encontroent, encontrevent
	preterite	encontrai	encontras	encontra	encontrames	encontrastes	encontrerent
	future	encontrerai	encontreras	encontrera	encontrerons	encontreroiz, encontrereiz, encontrerez	encontreront
	conditional	encontreroie, encontrereie	encontreroies, encontrereies	encontreroit, encontrereit	encontreriiens, encontreriens	encontreriiez, encontreriez	encontreroient, encontrereient
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	encontre	encontres	encontre	encontrons	encontrez	encontrent
	imperfect	encontrasse	encontrasses	encontrast	encontrissons, encontrissiens	encontrissoiz, encontrissez, encontrissiez	encontrassent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	encontre	—	encontrons	encontrez	—

Descendants

• → English: encounter
• French: rencontrer, encontrer (archaic)