forstand

Alternative forms

• forestand

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan (“to defend, help, protect, withstand, prevent, hinder, resist, oppose, benefit, avail, understand, signify, be equal to”), from Proto-Germanic *frastandaną (“to understand, oppose”), equivalent to for- +‎ stand. Cognate with West Frisian ferstean (“to understand”), Saterland Frisian ferstounde (“to understand”), Dutch verstaan (“to understand”), German verstehen (“to understand”), Norwegian Bokmål forstå (“to comprehend, understand”), Swedish förstå (“to comprehend, understand”).

Verb

forstand (third-person singular simple present forstands, present participle forstanding, simple past and past participle forstood)

1. (transitive) To stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.
   • 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: Wherein is Reported the Miseries of Dice, the Mischiefes of Quarelling, and the Fall of Prodigalitie. Wherein is Discovered the Deceits of all Sortes of People. Wherein is Reported the Souden Endes of Foure Notable Cousiners. With Divers Other Discourses Necessarie for All Sortes of Men [...]”, in The Rocke of Regard, Diuided into Foure Parts. [...], Imprinted at London: [By H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, OCLC 837515946; republished as J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, Diuided into Foure Parts. [...] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], OCLC 706027473, page 291:

     And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]

   • 1849, John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England:

     "As he would more of them had not wise God, Wierd forstood him, and the man's courage."

   • 1895, The Medical News:

     Hemophilia is a contraindication for vaginal hysterectomy, unless you have the time to build your patient up in order to forestand the shock.

   • 1963, Fredericus Theodorus Visser, An historical syntax of the English language: Volume 1, Part 3:

     A mighty angel there forstood them.

2. (transitive, Britain dialectal) To understand; comprehend.
   • 1878, Samuel Smiles, Robert Dick: baker, of Thurso, geologist and botanist:

     How can I forstand your Professors, when they dinna forstand themselves."

Anagrams

• Stanford, stand for

Etymology

From Middle Low German vorstant, compare with forstå (“understand”).

Noun

forstand c (singular definite forstanden, not used in plural form)

1. sanity, sense, ability to reason, wiseness

Further reading

• “forstand” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology

From Middle Low German vorstant, related to forstå; compare with German Verstand.

Noun

forstand m (definite singular forstanden, uncountable)

1. intellect, mind, reason
2. meaning, sense

References

• “forstand” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “forstand” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Etymology

From Middle Low German vorstant, related to forstå.

Noun

forstand m (definite singular forstanden, uncountable)

1. intellect, mind, reason
2. meaning, sense

References

• “forstand” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan (“to defend, understand”), from Proto-Germanic *frastandaną (“to understand, oppose”), equivalent to for- +‎ stand.

Verb

tae forstand

1. To withstand, resist