forsooth

English

Etymology

From Middle English for + sothe (“truth”)

Pronunciation

(US), IPA^(key): /fɔɹˈsuθ/, enPR: fôr-sōōth′
Rhymes: -uːθ

Adverb

forsooth (comparative more forsooth, superlative most forsooth)

(archaic or poetic, as an intensifier, often ironic) indeed, truthfully, really
- Hayward
  A fit man, forsooth, to govern a realm!
- ~1603, William Shakespeare, Othello, Act I, scene I, line 20:
  And what was he?/ Forsooth, a great arithmetician
- 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VIII:
  Her eyes widened. She squeaked a bit. “Don't tell me she caught you bending again?” “Bending is right. I was half-way under the dressing-table. You and your singing,” I said, and I'm not sure I didn't add the word “Forsooth!” Her eyes widened a bit further, and she squeaked another squeak.

Translations

indeed, truthfully, really

Bulgarian: наистина (bg) (naistina)
Czech: věru (cs), vskutku (cs), namouduši
Dutch: voorwaar (nl) (archaic) waarlijk (nl) (archaic)
German: fürwahr (de)
Ido: vere (io), certe (io), ya (io)

Italian: in verità
Polish: zaiste (pl)
Russian: поистине (ru) (poistine)
Spanish: veramente (es) m, en verdad m, de vero m

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