forespeak

English

WOTD – 16 August 2020

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɔːˈspiːk/, /fə-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɔɹˈspik/, /fɚ-/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Homophone: forspeak
• Rhymes: -iːk
• Hyphenation: fore‧speak

Etymology 1

From fore- (prefix meaning ‘earlier, occurring beforehand, prior to’) +‎ speak.

Verb

forespeak (third-person singular simple present forespeaks, present participle forespeaking, simple past forespoke or (archaic) forespake, past participle forespoken)

1. (transitive, archaic) To foretell, to predict.
   • c. 1552, Thomas M‘Crie, quoting John Knox, “Period III. From His Release from the French Galleys, Anno 1549, to His Departure out of England, Anno 1554.”, in The Life of John Knox: Containing Illustrations of the History of the Reformation in Scotland; […], New York, N.Y.: Eastburn, Kirk, & Co. […]; Philadelphia, Pa.: W. W. Woodward, published 1813, →OCLC, page 75:

     Rejoice sister, for the same word that forespaketh trouble, doth certify us of the glory consequent.

   • 1560, “A Table of the Principal Things that are Conteined in the Bible, after the Ordre of the Alphabet. The First Nomber Noteth the Chapter, and the Seconde the Verse.”, in [William Whittingham [et al.]], transl., The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: Printed by Rouland Hall, →OCLC, column 2:

     chriſt foreſpeaketh his owne Death mat[thew] 16, 21

   • 1611, John Hull, Saint Peters Prophesie of These Last Daies. […], London: […] Nathaniel Fosbrooke, […], →OCLC, page 597:

     He [Jesus] had Iohn Baptiſt his forerunner, and cryer, foreſpoken of the Meſſiah: […]

   • 1612–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Honest Mans Fortune”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 166, column 1:

     Why la; I knew't, this Propheticall tongue of mine never faild me; my mother was halfe a witch, never any thing that ſhe foreſpake, but came to paſſe: […]

   • 1640, James Harrington, transl., The Vjth Booke of Vergills Eneads; quoted in Caroline Bicks, “Stealing the Seal: Baptizing Women and the Mark of Kingship”, in Midwiving Subjects in Shakespeare’s England (Women and Gender in the Early Modern World), Abingdon, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2017, →ISBN, page 153:

     The same Henry of Ritchmond (after Henry the seavnth) I know not by what provydence or prophecy forsaw that his sonne Henry was not lyke to please god so well to have the kingdome established in his posterytye and thearfore matched his eldest Dawghter into Skotland thearby as yt wear forspeaking a happy conjunction of thease two noble realms […]

   • 1675, George Swinnock, “The Sinner’s Last Sentence”, in The Works of George Swinnock, M.A. (Nichol’s Series of Standard Divines; Puritan Period), volume V, Edinburgh: James Nichol; London: James Nisbet and Co.;  […], published 1868, →OCLC, chapter XXXIII (A Caution against Sins of Omission in Regard of the Matter of Duties), page 384:

     Remember, so often as thou neglectest morning prayer, so often thou art all the day naked, destitute of thy spiritual guard, and exposed to all manner of evils and enemies, and dost forespeak thyself an evil day; and so often as thou omittest evening prayer thou presumest upon sleep, and rest, and safety, without God's leave, and forespeakest thyself an evil night.

   • 1847 April 24, Ebenezer Elliott, “Erin. A Dirge.”, in John Saunders, editor, The People’s Journal, volume III, number 69, London: People’s Journal Office, […], →OCLC, page 230, column 1:

     Well, Bengal, thy famish'd dead, / (Victim-millions o'er thee spread,) / Forespoke of Erin coffinless!

Usage notes

Not to be confused with forspeak (“to injure or cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flattery; to bewitch, to charm (and other senses)”).

Conjugation

Additional obsolete forms are as follows:

• Second-person singular present tense: forespeakest.
• Third-person singular present tense: forespeaketh.

Alternative forms

• forspeak

Etymology 2

An alteration of forspeak.

Verb

forespeak (third-person singular simple present forespeaks, present participle forespeaking, simple past forespoke or (archaic) forespake, past participle forespoken)

1. Alternative spelling of forspeak
   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii], page 354, column 2:

     Thou haſt foreſpoke my being in theſe warres, / And ſay'ſt, it is not fit.

   • [1617?], Thomas Campian [i.e. Thomas Campion], “So Tyr’d are All My Thoughts”, in The Third and Fovrth Booke of Ayres, London: Thomas Snodham, →OCLC, cantus V:

     How are my powres fore-spoke? what strange distaste is this?

   • 1819, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VII, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume III (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 98:

     "I take ye a' to witness, gude people," said Mortheugh, "that she threatens me wi' mischief, and forespeaks me. If onything but gude happens to me or my fiddle this night, I'll make it the blackest night's job she ever stirred in. […] "

   • 1835, James Baillie Fraser, “An Alarm”, in The Highland Smugglers. […] In Three Volumes, volume II, Philadelphia, Pa.: E[dward] L[awrence] Carey & A[braham] Hart, →OCLC, page 115:

     "Dinna forespeak them, woman! dinna forespeak them!" said the man with a dark frown, and with equal earnestness, but with a tinge of superstitious alarm in his voice and manner. "They wud fain hae your good word, an' no your evil tongue with them; and so come, good wife, tell us what ken ye—what's biding them?—come, what have they to do?"

   • 1854 September 16, “F.”, “Orkney Charms”, in Notes and Queries, volume X, number 225, London: George Bell, →OCLC, page 221:

     When a healthy child suddenly becomes sickly, and no one can account for the change, the child is said to be "forespoken." Or when a stout man or woman becomes hypochondriac, or affected with nervous complaints, he or she is "forespoken." Some one has perhaps said "He's a bonny bairn," or "Thou ar' lookin weel the day;" but they have spoken with an ill tongue. They have neglected to add, "God save the bairn," or, "Safe be thou," &c.

Further reading

• “forespeak”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• forepeaks, forespake