The earliest forms of endevout or mihi esse in Breton

The mihi est or en d-eus formation of Middle Breton combines finite forms of ‘be’ with accusative clitics and an element de in ‘be to, have’. In 18C, coastal varieties of the southeast make regular use of its infinitive, mihi esse or en de-vout, where finite forms of ‘be’ are replaced with their infinitive bout of ‘be’. Here earlier forms of mihi esse are identified in a 1612/25 Middle Breton text by an author from the southwest. They include other verbal nouns of ‘be’, en de-uezout and en de-uezaff. The en devezout type is fully elaborated in an unpublished text by an inland southeastern author of 1710. These forms suggest earlier, more widespread, and more diverse mihi esse, and clarify its formation.