Forsays

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Renounces or denies something solemnly, especially a belief or allegiance ; prohibits or forbids someone from doing something
2. Disowns or abjures a former claim or loyalty, often under oath ; bars or outlaws an action by formal command
3. Gives up or repudiates a stated position or pledge ; commands against or interdicts a practice

Etymology: "Forsays" is the third-person singular form of "forsay," a verb that now survives mostly in old literature and archaic phrasing. The verb descends from Old English "forseċġan," meaning "to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on," built from the prefix "for-" and "say." Its sense shifted considerably on the way to Middle English, where "forsayen" meant "to renounce," and the modern notion of forbidding or refusing something comes from that same line of development. The prefix "for-" in Old English often carried the sense of "against" or "away," which explains the notion of speaking against someone, or saying a thing so that it is taken back or denied. A close relative survives in continental Germanic languages: Dutch "verzeggen" and German "versagen" both mean "to deny" or "to refuse," while Swedish "försäga" retains the sense of saying too much or misspeaking. These cognates show that the verb's core idea of speaking against or renouncing was widely shared.

Synonyms: forswear, renounce, abjure

Antonyms: affirm, avow