forsweren

Middle English

Alternative forms

• vorzuerie, forswere, for-swere

Etymology

From Old English forswerian; equivalent to for- +‎ sweren.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔrˈswɛːrən/, /fɔrˈswɛːriən/

Verb

forsweren

1. To perform perjury; to lie in legal testimony.
2. To disobey or act against a binding contract or oath.
3. To be exiled from a realm or nation; to be banished.
4. To deny, reject, or cast off a belief previously held.
5. (rare) To strip oneself of privileges or rights.
6. (rare, Christianity) To make an oath against God.
7. (rare) To plot or scheme evilly.

Conjugation

Conjugation of forsweren (strong class 6/4)

infinitive	(to) forsweren, forswere
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	forswere	forswor, forswar
2nd-person singular	forswerest	forswore, forsware, forswor, forswar
3rd-person singular	forswereth	forswor, forswar
subjunctive singular	forswere	forswore1, forsware1
imperative singular		—
plural2	forsweren, forswere	forsworen, forswore, forswaren, forsware
imperative plural	forswereth, forswere	—
participles	forswerynge, forswerende	forsworen, forswore, forsworn

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

Related terms

• forswerer
• forswerynge

Descendants

• English: forswear

References

• “forswēren, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-4.