Meanings
forspan1
present singular third person forspans · participle present forspanning · participle past forspanned · past forspanned
forspan2
- uncountableForesight; the ability to see, predict, or perceive future events.
In a remote age and country we find Njal, the hero of the Njal's saga, credited with forspan, or the gift of beholding such shadowy apparitions of future events — a power carefully distinguished from ordinary clear-sighted wisdom.
1902, Day Otis Kellogg, Thomas Spencer Baynes, William Robertson Smith, The Encyclopaedia Britannica
Origin
forspan · verb
- Proto-Germanic*farspananą
- Old Englishforspanan“to mislead, lead astray, seduce, entice”
- Middle Englishforspannen
- Englishforspan
From Middle English forspannen, forspanen, from Old English forspanan (“to mislead, lead astray, seduce, entice”), from Proto-Germanic *farspananą, *fraspananą (“to allure”), equivalent to for- + span. Cognate with Middle High German verspanen (“to tempt, entice”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
forspan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forspan
“forspan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forspan. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forspan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forspan.
Source: forspan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.