Forsprecen

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Under the influence of a spell or charm, as in an archaic sense of being enchanted or bewitched by magical words
2. Affected by sorcery, having been put under a magical enchantment through the power of an incantation
3. Describing someone or something cast under a spell, bewitched in the manner of older English speech and writing

Etymology: "Forsprecen" is the past participle of the Old English verb "forsprecan," meaning "to bewitch by speech," literally "to speak against" someone with a curse or spell. It is built from the prefix "for-," which here carries the sense of "against" or "amiss," and "sprecan," the ancestor of modern "speak." The "-en" ending marks the participle, so the word describes someone or something already placed under such a spell. Its English descendant, "forspoken," survives only in rare archaic use.