forehold

forehold · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*ḱel-“to cover; to conceal, hide”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hulaz“hollow”
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hulą“depression, hollow; hole”
4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hol“hollow”
5. Old English · inherited fromhol“hole (in the ground)”
6. Middle English · inherited fromhole
7. English todayforehold

From fore- (prefix meaning ‘positioned at or near the front’) + hold (“the cargo area of an aircraft or ship”). Hold is a variant of hole (influenced by hold (verb)), from Middle English hole, hol (“perforation, hole; cave, cavern; hiding place, shelter; cell, compartment”), from Old English hol (“hole (in the ground)”), from Proto-West Germanic *hol (“hollow”), from Proto-Germanic *hulą (“depression, hollow; hole”), from Proto-Germanic *hulaz (“hollow”); further etymology uncertain, possibly either from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover; to conceal, hide”) or *ḱewh₁- (“to be strong; to swell”).

forehold · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*ḱel-“to cover; to conceal, hide”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*haldaną“to hold; to keep”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*haldan“to hold; to keep”
4. Old English · inherited fromhealdan“to grasp, hold fast; to possess”
5. Middle English · inherited fromholden“to grasp; to possess; to hold (a belief or opinion”
6. English todayforehold

From fore- (prefix meaning ‘occurring beforehand; earlier, prior to’) + hold (“to maintain; to consider, opine”). Hold is derived from Middle English holden (“to grasp; to possess; to hold (a belief or opinion”), from Old English healdan (“to grasp, hold fast; to possess”), from Proto-West Germanic *haldan (“to hold; to keep”), from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to hold; to keep”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover; to conceal, hide”).

Words from the same roots