forsake

forsake, v.
  (fəˈseɪk)
  Pa. tense forsook (fəˈsʊk). Pa. pple. forsaken (fəˈseɪk(ə)n). Forms: pres. tense 1 forsace, (Northumb. foresacco), 2–3 south. vorsake, (fursake, 4 south. vorsake, forsak, 6 forsayke), 2– forsake. pa. tense 1 forsóc, 3–4 forso(c)k, south. vorsoc, -k, 3–6 forsoke, (4 forsuk(e, 6 foresoke), 6–7 forsooke, 4– forsook; also 7 weak form forsaked. pa. pple. 1 forsacen, 3–4 fursake(n, forsakin, -yn, 3 forsoc, 4–6 forsake, 6–9 forsook(e, (7 forsoken), 3– forsaken; weak forms 3–4 forsaked, -id.
  [OE. forsacan, f. for- prefix¹ + sacan to contend, dispute, deny; cf. OS. forsakan (Du. verzaken), OHG. firsahhan to deny, repudiate, renounce.]
  † 1. trans. To deny (an accusation, an alleged fact, etc.). Obs.

c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1767 Stalðe ic for-sake. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 473 Ȝuf eni clerc as felon were itake, & vor felon iproued, & ne miȝte it noȝt uorsake. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. iv. 27 (Camb. MS.), I ne may nat for-sake the ryht swyfte cours of my prosperite. 1389 Serm. (MS. Helm.), Þei [Ananie and Safira] forsoken to Petir here monei þat þei hadden. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 172/2 Forsakyn, and denyyn, abnego. c 1511 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. 31/1 They forsake that maria is the moder of god.

  † b. To deny knowledge of (a person). Obs.

c 1340 Cursor M. 15997 (Trin.) Petur..had forsake his lord þries on a rowe. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) viii. 91 Seynt Peter forsoke our Lord thries.

  † c. To deny, renounce, or repudiate allegiance to (God, a lord, etc.). Also rarely, forsake to.

a 1225 Juliana 33 Mi feader & mi moder for þi þat ich nule þe forsaken; habbe forsake me. a 1300 Cursor M. 22205 Þan sal all þaa..Es funden lele in cristen lai, Oither to iesu crist for-sake, Or underli sa wraful wrake. Ibid. 25149 Wicked man, þat godd forsakes. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 81 b/2 For we haue not folowed the synne of our fadres that forsoken theyr God. 1537 Bury Wills (Camden) 131, I forsake the Bysshoppe of Romes vsurpyt pouer.

  † d. To ‘deny’ (oneself); = deny v. 7. Obs.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 145 Forsake him seolf, and bere his rode. c 1440 Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) i. xlii, Who soo wyll come after me, forsake hymself. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 80 As renouncing and forsaking mee selfe.

  † 2. To decline or refuse (something offered). With simple obj. or to and inf. Obs.

a 800 Corpus Gloss. 650 Detractauit, forsooc. c 893 K. ælfred Oros. ii. iv. §2 An consul..forsoc þone triumphan. a 1000 Laws Edgar ii. §8 Þone [mynet] nan man ne forsace. a 1225 Juliana 11 Sei me hwi þu forsakest þi sy & ti selhðe. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 411 Roberd hym byþoȝte..þat yt was wel gret trauayl, to be kyng of þulke lond..War þoru he..vorsoc yt al out. c 1375 Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B) 250 Þai offerd gold ensense & myrre, and þou forsoke none of þirre. 1395 E.E. Wills (1882) 9 My sone and..his wif haue forsake to be myne executours. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vi. xviii, The thre knyghtes..yelded hem vnto syr kay and sir kay forsoke hem and said he foughte neuer with hem. 1593 Greene News fr. Heaven & Hell D iij b, This Brick-layer who forsooke to goe into Heauen because his wife was there. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 275 He..forsooke a right worshipful roome when it was offered to him. [1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 335 He..forsakes his Food.]

absol. 1382 Wyclif Prov. i. 24, I clepede, and ȝee forsoken.

  † b. To decline or refuse to bear, encounter, have to do with, undertake; to avoid, shun. Obs.

a 1225 Ancr. R. 182 Nolde me tellen him alre monne dusiȝest, þet forsoke enne buffet, uor one speres wunde. 1375 Barbour Bruce xiv. 315 Na multitud he forsuk of men, Quhill he hade ane aganis ten. 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 54 Qwo-so be chosen..& he forsake his offyce he xal paye..iijs. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. lxiii. (Tollem. MS.), A noþer kynde of magnas, þat forsakeþ yren and dryueþ it awey. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 173 If a leche be in straunge cuntre..he schal forsake alle maner of curis þat ben harde to do. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1580) 81 Hanging on the Crosse, no shame he did forsake. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 33 We followe libertie, and forsake servitude.

  † c. To refuse respect or obedience to (a command, duty, etc.); to disregard. Also, to neglect (to do something). Obs.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 111 Swa saul þe king dude þe forsech godes heste. a 1300 Cursor M. 6523 Sum of þaim þis fast forsoke. Ibid. 28246 Ic for-soke oft to kyrk at ga. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4406 Al þas men..Þat sal forsake to wirk Cristes werk. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VI. 273 Þe kynges knyȝes..forsook Clito his faire byhestes.

  3. To give up, renounce. a. To give up, part with, surrender (esp. something dear or valued). Passing into sense 4.

c 893 K. ælfred Oros. i. xii. §3 He þæt wæs eall forsacende. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 147 Hie forsoken þe wereld and eorðliche wele. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 195 Vor þine luue ich uorsoc al þet me leof was. a 1300 Cursor M. 23045 Þaa þat..al þis werld welth forsok. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xix. 88 He hase forsaken wyf and childer and all þe ricches..of þe werld. 1582 Bentley Mon. Matrones ii. 12, I rather did forsake my right than to behold such cruelnesse. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. ix. 12 b, Forsaking the name of a Captayne any longer, caused himselfe to be called king. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 157 For himself himself he must forsake. 1781 Cowper Hope 585 Forsaking country, kindred, friends.

  b. To break off from, renounce (an employment, design, esp. an evil practice or sin; also, a belief, doctrine). † Till 17th c. occas. with inf. as object.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 81 He scal his sunne uor-saken. c 1200 Vices & Virtues (1888) 23 Nu ðurh godes grace þu hes hafst forsaken. c 1305 St. Andrew 6 in E.E.P. (1862) 98 Þis oþere here nettes gonne forsake. 1382 Wyclif Heb. x. 25 Not forsakynge oure gederinge to gidere, as it is of custom to sum men. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xi. 42 Þe emperour..forsuke Cristen fayth. 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 49 Who wil allege the temple for glorie of our chirche, fforsake he to be cristen. c 1460 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 236 Vertu, godede, & almisdede, arn al for-sake. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer (Baptism), Doest thou forsake the deuill and all his workes? 1558 Bp. Watson Sev. Sacram. xxix. 186 He must forsake to dwel with hys father and mother. 1601 Chester Love's Mart., Dialogue ccxvii, Haue I forsooke to bathe me in the flouds. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 218 Streighten'd by my Space, I must forsake This Task. 1703 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1732) 140 We were forc'd to forsake our intended visit. 1844 Stanley Arnold (1858) II. viii. 14 Nor that the doctrine of Christ crucified has been so forsaken. 1894 J. T. Fowler Adamnan Introd. 56 The southern Picts..had forsaken idolatry.

  4. To abandon, leave entirely, withdraw from; esp. to withdraw one's presence and help or companionship from; to desert. † to forsake patch: ? to quit the spot.

a 1300 Cursor M. 1228 He þaim for-soke in al þer nedis. a 1340 Hampole Psalter vi. 7 Til whaim now he spekis forsakand þaire felaghschip. c 1386 Chaucer Friar's T. 224, I wol holde company with the, Til it be so that thou forsake me. c 1422 Hoccleve Learn to Die 506 Forsake y am, frendshipe y can noon fynde. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxi. 461 Whan mawgys sawe that they forsoke the place, he followed theym not. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon cxxxviii. 516 They..forsoke theyr horses on the see syde. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer Matrimony, And forsaking all other kepe thee only to her. 1602 Carew Cornwall 135 a, The Foy men gave them so rough entertaynment at their welcome, that they were glad to forsake patch, without bidding farewell. 1674 Martiniere Voy. N. Countries 64 The night forsook us quite, the Sun continuing always in our sight. 1713 Addison Cato ii. vi, Thou hast forsook Thy Juba's cause. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) V. 318 Larks..forsake that climate in winter. 1816 J. Wilson City of Plague ii. iv, I implored her to forsake the city. 1833 L. Ritchie Wand. by Loire 115 The road forsakes the river. 1841–4 Emerson Ess., Love Wks. (Bohn) I. 71 This passion..though it begin with the young, yet forsakes not the old. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xxvii. 197 It [a hut] was forsaken, and half buried in the snow. 1881 Jowett Thucyd. I. 45 Those who forsake allies whom they have sworn to defend.

absol. a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) I. 363 He'll learn to flatter and forsake. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 100 If thou forsake, we verily do the same.

  † b. Of things: To fail, disappoint the hopes of. Obs.

1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 6 The corruptyble rychesse of this worlde..forsaketh and deceyueth him whan he weneth best. 1610 Bp. Carleton Jurisd. v. 73 It is not to be marueiled, if the truth of Religion afterward forsaked them. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) V. 361 Their food..never forsakes them in those warm latitudes.

Oxford English Dictionary