English
forgetful
Forgetful comes from Middle English *forgetful.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*forgetfulreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1912forgetful
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*forgetfulreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1912forgetful
Earliest quotation: 1912, William Sharp, Elizabeth Amelia Sharp: “Nor has Dalua part or mention in the antique…”
Formed from forget + -ful
Proto-West Germanic *fragetan ‘to give up, forget’
Old English forġietan ‘to forget’
Middle English forgeten
English forget
Every English word from Middle English *forgetful
Today it means
adj Unable to remember things well; liable to forget.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English *forgetful / forgetful