daigniez

Daigniez is a grammatical form of the French verb daigner, meaning to deign. Specifically, daigniez is the second-person plural form in the present subjunctive. It functions as a verb form rather than a standalone word and appears in subordinate clauses to express a wish, obligation, or possibility that the addressed party deigns to perform an action. In everyday French, this subjunctive form is rare outside formal or literary contexts.

The essential meaning of daigner is to deem worthy or to accord with one’s dignity in a course of action. The verb’s etymology traces to Old French daigner, from Latin dignare or dignus, tied to the idea of worthiness or worthy regard. The present subjunctive daigniez preserves this learned, formal nuance and is often associated with classical, ceremonial, or legal language.

Usage notes indicate that daigniez appears primarily in formal writing or elevated speech. It may occur after que in phrases such as “Il faut que vous daigniez répondre à cette demande,” meaning “It is necessary that you deign to respond to this request.” Other examples include “Qu’ils daignent accepter cette proposition.” In contemporary discourse, speakers more commonly use circumlocutions or the imperative daignez, or opt for more direct expressions that avoid the subjunctive mood.

See also: daigner, deign, French subjunctive mood.