forsta

The story

1. Old Saxon · derived fromfarstandan“to understand”
2. Middle Low German · derived fromvorstân“to understand”
3. Norwegian · derived fromforstå“to understand”
4. Dutch · derived fromverstaan“to understand”
5. English todayforsta

Probably from Dutch verstaan (“to understand”); or from Norwegian forstå (“to understand”), itself from Middle Low German vorstân (“to understand”), from Old Saxon farstandan (“to understand”), equivalent to for- + stand. More at forstand.