eût

eût is a form of the French verb avoir. It represents the third-person singular form of the imperfect subjunctive (subjonctif imparfait) of avoir, and it appears in literary or formal styles. The imperfect subjunctive is used to express hypotheticals, wishes, or actions viewed as uncertain or subordinate to another clause, often in past time.

As part of the avoir conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive, the forms are: que j’eusse, que tu eusses, qu’il/elle eût, que nous eussions, que vous eussiez, qu’ils/eussent. The form eût specifically corresponds to the third-person singular. In combination with other elements, it forms various tenses such as the past subjunctive (e.g., il eût eu = had had) when used with a following past participle.

Usage and style notes:

- eût is considered archaic or very literary in modern French. In everyday language, speakers typically replace the imperfect subjunctive with other constructions, such as the present subjunctive (qu’il ait, qu’elle ait) or the conditional/past conditional forms (il aurait eu, s’il avait eu).

- The imperfect subjunctive, including eût, often appears in si-clauses or in formal written narratives to discuss past possibilities or counterfactuals.

Examples:

- S’il eût eu le temps, il serait venu. (If he had had the time, he would have come.)

- Il eût fallu partir plus tôt. (It would have been necessary to leave earlier.)

Eût thus serves as a key marker of a historical or literary register for expressing past hypothetical or counterfactual nuance with the auxiliary avoir.