gésir

to lie (be lying down)

verb zheh-ZEER Rare

Origin: Latin 'jacere' (to lie)

Usage Note

Gésir is a highly defective verb used almost exclusively in the present tense: il gît, ils gisent. It appears in epitaphs (ci-gît, 'here lies') and formal or literary descriptions of the dead or wounded. You will rarely encounter it in everyday speech.

Examples

"Ci-gît un homme courageux."

Natural Translation

Here lies a courageous man.

Literal Translation

Here lies a man courageous.

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