Middle English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Old English forniman (to take away, deprive of, plunder, waste, devastate, destroy, consume, annul, disfigure, overcome), from Proto-Germanic *farnemaną, *franemaną (to take away, hear, learn), equivalent to for- +‎ nimen.

Cognate with West Frisian fornimme (to learn, hear, find out), Dutch vernemen (to learn, hear, find out, understand), German vernehmen (to hear, learn, question, examine), Swedish förnimma (to apprehend, perceive, notice). More at for-, nim.

Verb edit

fornimen (third-person singular simple present fornimeth, present participle fornimende, past singular fornom, past plural fornomen, past participle fornomen)

  1. (transitive) to take away, remove; deprive
  2. (transitive) to destroy, do away with, fordo
  3. (transitive) to encroach upon

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit