preferer

See also: préférer

English

Noun

preferer (plural preferers)

1. Alternative form of preferrer

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Middle French

Etymology

From Old French preferer.

Verb

preferer

1. to prefer (have a preference for)
   • 1566, N. Chesneau, Les Sermons et instructions chrestiennes, page 251

     Il faut tousiours preferer le spirituel au temporel

     One should always prefer the spiritual over the temporal

Conjugation

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

Conjugation of preferer

infinitive	simple	preferer
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	preferant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		preferé
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	prefere	preferes	prefere	preferons	preferez	preferent
	imperfect	preferois, preferoys	preferois, preferoys	preferoit, preferoyt	preferions, preferyons	preferiez, preferyez	preferoient, preferoyent
	past historic	prefera	preferas	prefera	preferasmes	preferastes	prefererent
	future	prefererai, prefereray	prefereras	preferera	prefererons	prefererez	prefereront
	conditional	prefererois, prefereroys	prefererois, prefereroys	prefereroit, prefereroyt	prefererions, prefereryons	prefereriez, prefereryez	prefereroient, prefereroyent
(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	prefere	preferes	prefere	preferons	preferez	preferent
	imperfect	preferasse	preferasses	preferast	preferassions	preferassiez	preferassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	prefere	—	preferons	preferez	—
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).

Descendants

• French: preferer

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Old French

Alternative forms

• preferrer (Anglo-Norman)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praeferō, praeferre.

Verb

preferer (Anglo-Norman)

1. to prefer
2. to prioritize

Descendants

• → English: prefer
• Middle French: preferer
  • French: preferer

References

• preferer on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub