English
forseek
Forseek comes from Old English forsēcan ‘to afflict, attack’, from sēċan ‘to look for, seek’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘track down, seek out’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sōkijaną‘to seek, look for’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sōkijan‘to seek, look for’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sēċan‘to look for, seek’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forsēcan‘to afflict, attack’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*forsekenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1614forseek
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘track down, seek out’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sōkijaną‘to seek, look for’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sōkijan‘to seek, look for’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sēċan‘to look for, seek’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forsēcan‘to afflict, attack’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*forsekenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1614forseek
Earliest quotation: 1614, J. Davies: “Vartue it's sed (and is an old said saw)…”
Proto-Indo-European *pro- ‘before, in front of’
Proto-Germanic *fra- ‘off, away’
Proto-West Germanic *fra- ‘forms verbs with the sense of "away from" or…’
English for-
Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- ‘to follow’
…
Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną ‘to seek’
Proto-West Germanic *sōkijan ‘to seek’
Old English sēċan ‘to look for’
Middle English seke
English seek
The story
From Middle English *forseken (attested in forsoȝt), from Old English forsēcan, forsēċan (‘to afflict, attack’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- ‘track down, seek out’
sake, sucker, hegemony, saya, sagittal, presage, hegemon, sagacity, 19 more
through Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną ‘to seek, look for’
through Old English sēċan ‘to look for, seek’
Today it means
verb To seek thoroughly (for); seek out.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- / forseek