forseon

Old English

Etymology

Equivalent to for- +‎ sēon. Cognate with Old High German firsehan. See for-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /forˈse͜oːn/

Verb

forsēon

1. to despise
2. to reject
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Fiaminius sē consul forsēah þā sæġene þe þā hlyttan him sædon...

     The consul Flaminius rejected the predictions that the diviners had told him...

Conjugation

Conjugation of forsēon (strong class 5)

infinitive	forsēon	forsēonne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	forsēo	forseah
second person singular	forsiehst	forsāwe
third person singular	forsiehþ	forseah
plural	forsēoþ	forsāwon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	forsēo	forsāwe
plural	forsēon	forsāwen
imperative
singular	forseoh
plural	forsēoþ
participle	present	past
	forsēonde	forsewen

Derived terms

• forsewennes (“contempt”)

Descendants

• Middle English: forseen, forsen
  • English: forsee

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “forseon”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.