Old English · verb
forbrecan
- Part of speech
- verb
- Verb class
- strong class IV
- IPA
- /forˈbre.kɑn/
- Syllables
- for · ˈbre · kɑn (3 syllables)
- Modern English
- forbreakviolate
Meaning
-
to break up, break in two, crush, destroy, violate
53. Sē þe earm þurhstinð, VI scill' ġebēte Ġif earm forbrocen weorð, VI scill' ġebēte 53. He who pierces an arm shall pay six shillings in restitution.
If the arm is broken, [he shall pay] six shillings.
Laws of King Æþelberht
Conjugation
| Present | Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative | ||
| 1st singular | forbrece | forbræc |
| 2nd singular | forbricst | forbrǣce |
| 3rd singular | forbricþ | forbræc |
| Plural | forbrecaþ | forbrǣcon |
| Subjunctive | ||
| Singular | forbrece | forbrǣce |
| Plural | forbrecen | forbrǣcen |
| Form | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | forbrecan |
| Inflected infinitive | forbrecenne |
| Imperative singular | forbrec |
| Imperative plural | forbrecaþ |
| Present participle | forbrecende |
| Past participle | forbrocen |
All forms (14)
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *frabrekaną (“to break up”), equivalent to for- + brecan. Cognate with Old High German firbrehhan.
Descendants
forbreak
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forbrecan · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution