fortread

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*fratredaną
2. Old English · inherited fromfortredan“to tread down, trample on”
3. Middle English · inherited fromfortreden
4. English todayfortread

From Middle English fortreden, from Old English fortredan (“to tread down, trample on”), from Proto-Germanic *fratredaną, *fratrudaną (“to trample”), equivalent to for- + tread. Compare Saterland Frisian fertreede, Dutch vertreden (“to trample”), German Low German vertreden, German vertreten ("to represent"; < Old High German firtretan (“to trample”)).