forlorn

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*fraleusaną“to lose”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*fraluzanaz“lost”
3. Old English · inherited fromforloren
4. Middle English · inherited fromforlorn
5. English todayforlorn

From Middle English forlorn, forloren, from Old English forloren (past participle of forlēosan (“to lose”)), from Proto-Germanic *fraluzanaz (“lost”), past participle of Proto-Germanic *fraleusaną (“to lose”), equivalent to for- + lorn. Cognate with West Frisian ferlern (“lost”), Saterland Frisian ferlädden (“lost”), Dutch verloren (“lost”), German Low German verloren (“lost”), German verloren (“lost”), Swedish förlorad (“lost”). See further at lese/leese, lorn.

Words from the same roots