forgive, v.
(fəˈgɪv)
Pa. tense forgave (fəˈgeɪv). Pa. pple. forgiven (fəˈgɪv(ə)n). Forms: see give.
[OE. forᵹiefan (f. for- prefix1 + ᵹiefan: see give v.), corresponding to Du. vergeven, OHG. far-, fer-, for-, furgeban (Ger. vergeben), ON. fyrirgefa (Sw. förgifva, MDa. forgive) to forgive, Goth. fragiban to grant.]
† 1. trans. To give, grant. Obs.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xvi. [xxvii.] (1890) 84 Forþon ne bið þæt forᵹifen þætte alefed bið, ac þæt bið riht. 971 Blickl. Hom. 31 Ealra þara gifa þe he middanᵹearde forgeaf þurh his tocyme. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 229 He forȝiaf blinde manne ȝesechðe. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xviii. 76 For he was knyȝte & kynges sone kynde forȝaf þat tyme, Þat non harlot were so hardy to leyne hands vppon hym. 1483 Vulgaria abs Terentio 2 b, The grettist tresoure that j hadd j forgafe the. |
† 2. To give up, cease to harbour (resentment, wrath). Also, to give up one's resolve (to do something). Obs.
| c 1200 Ormin 1466 Aȝȝ whannse þu forrȝifesst tuss þin wraþþe. c 1305 Pilate 167 in E.E.P. (1862) 115 He wende..þat he hadde forȝeue him his wraþþe. c 1380 Wyclif Paternoster Wks. (1880) 200 Here men moten forȝeue þe rancour..of here herte to here neiȝeboris. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxiii. 257 Oberon..forgaue all the yll wyll that he had to Huon. 1564 Carsewell's Lett. in Wodr. Soc. Misc. 285, I can nocht forgif to do my sobir diligens in furderance of the kirk. |
3. To remit (a debt); to give up resentment or claim to requital for, pardon (an offence). Const. a. with simple object.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 662 (Gr.) He forgirð hit. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 67 Ower hating forȝefe ȝe. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Þanne beð þe synne forgiuen. 13.. Cursor M. 25109 (Cott. Galba) Lord forgiff þou dettes ours. c 1400 Destr. Troy 11581 All hir gilt to forgiff. 1503 Kalender of Sheph. Pater Noster, Forghewe the fawlys doyeng ageyns them. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 26 Forgiue a moytie of the principall. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xlii. 274 An Authority to Forgive, or Retain Sins. 1781 Burns Why am I loth ii, Fain would I say, ‘Forgive my foul offence!’ 1855 Tennyson Maud xii, Should I fear..to say ‘Forgive the wrong’. 1882 19th Cent. No. 61. 348 The amount of rent that has been forgiven in the past two years has been very large. |
b. with the thing in the acc., and the person in the dat., or preceded by † til, to, unto (or as subj. of vb. in pass).
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. vi. 12 And forgyf us ure gyltas. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 37 Ne mei þe preost forȝefen nane men his sunne. a 1300 Cursor M. 19019 (Edin.) Giu sal forgiuin be giur sak. Ibid. 25109 (Cott.) Forgiue þou til us dettes vrs. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 2568 Forȝeuen hem was her wo, No were þai neuer so dere. 1382 Wyclif Matt. xviii. 27 Sothely the lord of that seruant.. forȝaue to hym the dette. c 1430 Hymns Virg. (1867) 128 Lord your deth forgyffe it me. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 37 Preamb., It pleased your Highnesse..to forgyve unto your seid Subgiect all the seid Mesprisions. 1611 Bible Isa. xxxiii. 24 The people that dwel therein shalbe forgiuen their iniquitie. 1665 Walton Life Hooker H.'s Wks. 1888 I. 39 Forgiving him his first-fruits. 1726–31 Tindal Rapin's Hist. Eng. (1743) II. xvii. 153 She forgave him what she had lent his father. 1782 Cowper Charity 634 Let Charity forgive me a mistake That zeal, not vanity, has chanced to make. 1826 T. Moore Mem. (1854) V. 46 Clonmell never forgave this to Grattan. |
c. with indirect (personal) obj. only, either in dat. (a construction now merged in 4), or † preceded by to, till, unto.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xviii. 21 Mot ic him forgyfan oð seofon siþas. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 39 Þu scalt forȝeuen þon monne þe wið þe agultet. a 1340 Hampole Psalter vi. 1 Forgifynge til him þat synnes in vs. 1382 Wyclif Matt. vi. 12 As we forȝeue to oure dettours. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop i. xviii, The myghte and puyssant must pardonne and forgyue to the lytyll and feble. |
4. To give up resentment against, pardon (an offender). Const. for, † of, or dependent clause, rarely † to with inf. Also (now rarely) to abandon one's claim against (a debtor).
| [c 1000, c 1175: see 3 c.] c 1200 Ormin 4960 To forrȝifenn oþre menn Wiþþ word & ec wiþþ herrte. c 1340 Cursor M. 8396 (Fairf.) Ȝe ar for-giuen of þat vn-riȝt. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 91 How y{supt} crist forgaf mavdelen marie. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. ii. iv. 172 Forgiue me that I doe not dreame on thee. 1607 Wilkins Miseries Inforced Marriage ii. D j, I do forgiue thee with my hart. 1715 De Foe Fam. Instruct. i. i, He forgives them for the sake of Jesus Christ. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 387 An Example so much better—forgive me to say—before her. 1785 Burns 1st Epist. Lapraik xvii, I like the lasses—Gude forgie me! 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xxi, Forgive me if I remind you, that [etc.]. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. xxii. (1878) 403 He asks you to forgive the man who wronged you. |
5. absol. (of 3 and 4, which in this use coincide).
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke vi. 37 Forgyfaþ & eow byð forgyfen. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. v. (1495) 192 Chyldren ben sone playsyd and lyghtly they forgyue. 1611 Bible 1 Kings viii. 30 And when thou hearest, forgiue. 1709 Pope Ess. Crit. 525 To err is human, to forgive, divine. 1841 Trench Parables xxiv. (1877) 411 Though God may forgive, man is not therefore to forget. |
6. To make excuse or apology for, regard indulgently. Now only in imp. as an entreaty.
| 1667 Milton P.L. x. 956 Thy frailtie and infirmer Sex forgiv'n. 1738 Pope Epil. Sat. i. 63 Dear Sir, forgive the Prejudice of Youth. 1782 Cowper Truth 582 Forgive their evil, and accept their good. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. Prol. xi, Forgive these wild and wandering cries..Forgive them where they fail in truth. |
† 7. = misgive. (So also give). Obs. rare.
| 1600 Holland Livy 754 Anniball, whose mind forgave him that such a thing would fall out, had prepared shipping. |
8. dial. (See quots.)
| 1790 Grose Prov. Gloss (ed. 2) s.v., Forgive, to thaw. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Forgive, to begin to thaw. |