forfreten

Middle English

Alternative forms

• vorfreten

Etymology

From for- +‎ freten (“to eat (at)”); compare West Frisian forfrette (“to eat up, devour”), German verfressen (“greedy”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔrˈfrɛːtən/, /fɔrˈfræːtən/

Verb

forfreten (third-person singular simple present forfreteth, present participle forfretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative forfrat, past participle forfreten)

1. To devour or eat up.

Conjugation

Conjugation of forfreten (strong class 5)

infinitive	(to) forfreten, forfrete
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	forfrete	forfrat
2nd-person singular	forfretest	forfrete, forfrat
3rd-person singular	forfreteth	forfrat
subjunctive singular	forfrete	forfrete1
imperative singular		—
plural2	forfreten, forfrete	forfreten, forfrete
imperative plural	forfreteth, forfrete	—
participles	forfretynge, forfretende	forfreten, forfrete

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

• “forfrēten, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.