Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “forsworn” come from?

Forsworn comes from Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian, combining the prefix for- (from Proto-Germanic fra-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, meaning "forward") with a verb root deriving from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-.

forsworn (English): Having lied under oath; perjured; past participle...

Definitions

  1. Having lied under oath; perjured; past participle...

Ancestry of “forsworn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishforswearTo renounce or deny something, especially under...
2Middle EnglishforswerenTo perform perjury; to lie in legal testimony; To...
3Old Englishforswerianto swear falsely, perjure, forswear; swear away...
4Old Englishfor-wrongly, away from, astray, abstention,...
5Proto-Germanicfra-off, away; completely, fully, up
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
8Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →