English
forhold
Forhold comes from Middle English forholden ‘to withhold’, from Old English healdan ‘to grasp, hold fast’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *haldaną.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*haldaną‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*haldan‘to hold’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150healdan‘to grasp, hold fast’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forhealdan‘to keep or hold back (something), withhold’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forholden‘to withhold’
- Englishearliest quotation 1624forhold
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*haldaną‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*haldan‘to hold’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150healdan‘to grasp, hold fast’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forhealdan‘to keep or hold back (something), withhold’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forholden‘to withhold’
- Englishearliest quotation 1624forhold
Earliest quotation: 1624, Woodbridge: “[T]estator reserves the right of egress & regress to…”
The story
The English word is analysable as for- + hold, and is cognate with Danish forholde (‘to relate’), Dutch verhouden (‘to relate’), Low German vorholden (‘to detain’), German verhalten (‘to control, restrain’), Norwegian forholde (‘to deal’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‘to cover’
hell, cell, hall, color, ceiling, hole, hull, helmet, helm, conceal, hollow, occult, clandestine, sari, sala, cilia, recline, declination, declension, haugh, tricolour, seel, halberd, hele, holing, 35 more
through Proto-West Germanic *haldan ‘to hold’
through Old English healdan ‘to grasp, hold fast’
Today it means
verb To detain, hold back, or hold up (someone or something); also, to retain or withhold (something).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *haldaną / forhold