English
foregainst
Foregainst comes from Old English fōran onġēan ‘opposite’.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fōran onġēan‘opposite’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*foregaynstreconstructed
- Englishtodayforegainst
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fōran onġēan‘opposite’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*foregaynstreconstructed
- Englishtodayforegainst
Formed from fore- + gainst
Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, formerly’
Proto-Germanic *fura- ‘before, in front of, for’
Proto-West Germanic *forē- ‘before, in front of, fore-, pre-’
English fore-
Every English word from Old English fōran onġēan
Today it means
prep Directly opposite to; in the opposite scale to.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English fōran onġēan / foregainst