This is the 9334th most frequent French word.
daigne
"Daigne" means "deigns" or "consents to do something, often reluctantly."
Here, 'daigne' is used in a negative context to express unwillingness or refusal to engage in a certain action due to perceived superiority or indifference.
Il ne daigne pas répondre à ma question.
He does not deign to answer my question.
In this sentence, 'daignait' (imperfect subjunctive of 'daigner') reflects a conditional politeness or allowance that is hypothetical and not guaranteed.
Si elle daignait m'écouter, elle comprendrait mon point de vue.
If she deigned to listen to me, she would understand my point of view.
Here, 'daigner' is employed in an imperative-like question form, urging or requesting someone to perform an action, often with an undertone of frustration or insistence.