forstand

See also: förstånd

English

Alternative forms

• forestand

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan (“to defend, help, protect, withstand, prevent, hinder, resist, oppose, benefit, avail, understand, signify, be equal to”), from Proto-Germanic *frastandaną (“to understand, oppose”), equivalent to for- +‎ stand. Cognate with West Frisian ferstean (“to understand”), Saterland Frisian ferstounde (“to understand”), Dutch verstaan (“to understand”), German verstehen (“to understand”), Norwegian Bokmål forstå (“to comprehend, understand”), Swedish förstå (“to comprehend, understand”).

Verb

forstand (third-person singular simple present forstands, present participle forstanding, simple past and past participle forstood)

1. (transitive) To stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.
   • 1849, John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England:

     "As he would more of them had not wise God, Wierd forstood him, and the man's courage."

   • 1895, The Medical News:

     Hemophilia is a contraindication for vaginal hysterectomy, unless you have the time to build your patient up in order to forestand the shock.

   • 1963, Fredericus Theodorus Visser, An historical syntax of the English language: Volume 1, Part 3:

     A mighty angel there forstood them.

2. (transitive, UK dialectal) To understand; comprehend.
   • 1878, Samuel Smiles, Robert Dick: baker, of Thurso, geologist and botanist:

     How can I forstand your Professors, when they dinna forstand themselves."

References

• Wright, The English dialect dictionary, forstand.

Anagrams

• Stanford, stand for

---

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German vorstant, compare with forstå (“understand”) and the pair stå/stand.

Noun

forstand c (singular definite forstanden, not used in plural form)

1. sanity, sense, ability to reason, wiseness

Declension

Declension of forstand

common gender	Singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	forstand	forstanden
genitive	forstands	forstandens

Further reading

• “forstand” in Den Danske Ordbog

---

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Middle Low German vorstant, related to forstå; compare with German Verstand.

Noun

forstand m (definite singular forstanden, uncountable)

1. intellect, mind, reason
2. meaning, sense

References

• “forstand” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “forstand” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

---

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Middle Low German vorstant, related to forstå.

Noun

forstand m (definite singular forstanden, uncountable)

1. intellect, mind, reason
2. meaning, sense

References

• “forstand” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

---

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan (“to defend, understand”), from Proto-Germanic *frastandaną (“to understand, oppose”), equivalent to for- +‎ stand.

Verb

tae forstand

1. To withstand, resist