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for·sake

(fôr-sāk, fər-)

tr.v. for·sook (-sk), for·sak·en (-sākən), for·sak·ing, for·sakes

1. To give up (something formerly held dear); renounce: forsook liquor.

2. To leave altogether; abandon: forsook Hollywood and returned to the legitimate stage.

[Middle English forsaken, from Old English forsacan; see sāg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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