forsay

Etymology

Came into English via Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), from Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), formed from for- and say. It is cognate with Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”), German versagen (“to refuse, deny”) and Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”). See also for-, say.