foretoken
English edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle English foretokne, fortacne, from Old English foretācn, foretācen (“foretoken, presage, prognostic, prodigy, sign, wonder”), equivalent to fore- + token. Cognate with Dutch voorteken, German Low German Vörteken, German Vorzeichen.
Noun edit
foretoken (plural foretokens)
- A prognostic; a premonitory sign; warning or presentiment.
- 1590, Philip Sidney, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, Book II, ch. 10:
- Therefore know you Gentlemen (to whom from my harte I wish that it may not proue ominous foretoke[n] of misfortune to haue mette with such a miser as I am) that whatsoeuer my sonne (ô God, that trueth binds me to reproch him with the name of my sonne) hath said, is true.
Translations edit
a premonitory sign; warning or presentiment
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Etymology 2 edit
From Middle English *foretoknen, fortaknen, from Old English foretācnian (“to foreshow”).
Verb edit
foretoken (third-person singular simple present foretokens, present participle foretokening, simple past and past participle foretokened)
- (transitive) To betoken beforehand; prognosticate; foreshadow; give warning of; presage.