English

Alternative forms

• forestand

Verb

forstand ‎(third-person singular simple present forstands, present participle forstanding, simple past and past participle forstood)

1. (transitive) To stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.
   • 1849, John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England:

     "As he would more of them had not wise God, Wierd forstood him, and the man's courage."

   • 1895, The Medical News:

     Hemophilia is a contraindication for vaginal hysterectomy, unless you have the time to build your patient up in order to forestand the shock.

   • 1963, Fredericus Theodorus Visser, An historical syntax of the English language: Volume 1, Part 3:

     A mighty angel there forstood them.

2. (transitive, Britain dialectal) To understand; comprehend.
   • 1878, Samuel Smiles, Robert Dick: baker, of Thurso, geologist and botanist:

     How can I forstand your Professors, when they dinna forstand themselves."

References

• Wright, The English dialect dictionary, forstand.

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan ‎(“to defend, understand”), equivalent to for-, stand.

Verb

tae forstand

1. To withstand, resist