Etymology

forswear

F4O1R1S1W4E1A1R1

Today it means: To renounce or deny something, especially under oath. Full definition →

Middle English forsweren ← Old English forswerian
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromforswerian“to swear falsely”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromforsweren
  3. English todayforswear

From Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian (“to swear falsely”). Cognate with Old Saxon farswerian, Old High German farsweren, German verschwören. More at for- + swear.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.