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forstelan. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *frastelaną (“to steal, steal away”), equivalent to for- + stelan. Cognate with Old Saxon farstelan, Old High German firstelan.
Pronunciation
Verb
forstelan
- (intensive) to steal
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 28:13
Seċġaþ þæt his leornungcneohtas cōmen nihtes and forstǣlen hine þā wē slēpen.- Say that his disciples came at night and stole him away while we were asleep.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 6:19
Nellen ġē goldhordian ēow goldhord on eorðan, þǣr ōm and moþþe hit fornimþ and þǣr þēofas hit delfaþ and forstelaþ.- Don't hoard yourself treasures on Earth, where moths and rust will destroy it and thieves will dig it up and steal it.
- to kidnap
- late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Exodus 21:16
Sē þe mann forstele and hine ġeselle, swelte hē dēaðe.- Whoever kidnaps someone and sells them will be put to death.
- late 7th century, Law of Hlothhere and Eadric
Ġif friġ mann mannan forstele, ġif hē eft cume melda, seċġe on andweardne.- If a free person kidnaps someone, and the victim returns as an informer, they must make the accusation in the presence of the accused.
- c. 935, King Æthelstan's sixth law code
Wē cwǣdon be ūrum þēowum mannum þā menn þe menn hæfdon: ġif hine man forstele, þæt hine man forgulde mid healfum punde.- Those of us who own slaves have declared: if anyone kidnaps a slave, the kidnapper must pay for the slave with half a pound.
Conjugation
Descendants
See also