English
forsta
Forsta may come from Dutch verstaan ‘to understand’.
- Dutchc. 1500–presentverstaan‘to understand’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1714forsta
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Dutchc. 1500–presentverstaan‘to understand’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1714forsta
Earliest quotation: 1714, Joseph Ritson: “A cripple I'm not, ye forsta me, Tho' lame…”
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 *steh₂- ‘to stand’
Proto-Germanic *standaną ‘to stand’
Proto-West Germanic *standan ‘to stand’
Old English standan ‘to stand’
Middle English stonden ‘to stand’
English stand
Every English word from Dutch verstaan
Today it means
verb To comprehend; understand.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Dutch verstaan / forsta