adv., a. and prep. Obs. Forms: 1 foran, forn(e, 3 foren, 3–5 forn, Orm. forrn, 4–7 forne. [OE. foran (Northumb. fora), forne adv. = OS. foran, forana, OHG. forna (MHG., mod.Ger. vorne, vorn); f. root of FOR, FORE adv.
The adj. appears to be an English development from the adv., and not an adoption of the ON. forn ancient.]
A. adv.
1. With respect to place. a. Of position: In front, before the eyes; in or on the front, opp. to behind. b. Of motion: Forwards, to the front.
a. a. 1000. Riddles, liv. 8 (Gr.).
| Wonnum hyrstum | |
| foran ȝefrætwed. |
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4361. Þat host abod behynde & forn.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3925.
| Þis breme best bare · as the buke tellis, | |
| Before forne in þe fronte · thre full tyndis. |
b. c. 1000. Daniel, 556 (Gr.).
| Þæt þæt treow sceolde telgum besnæded | |
| foran afeallan. |
c. 1205. Lay., 26899.
| And ten þusend hehte… | |
| aneouste foren wenden. |
1430. Lydgate, Chronicle of Troy, III. xxii.
| Of mortall yre and as he rode forne, | |
| Brenning full hote in his melancolye. |
2. With respect to time: a. Formerly; in former time. b. Thenceforward, in future.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2422. For þes wer forne þe freest, þat folȝeð alle þe sele.
14[?]. Trentalle S. Gregorii, in Tundale’s Vis. (1843), 80.
| For pynes thar hym dred non forne | |
| Of purgatory no of helle. |
3. Prefixed to prepositions, and occas. to another adverb: a. Prefixed to again, against, adv. and prep.; Right in front. b. Forne an, at: before, in front of. c. Forne in: straight before. d. Forne to: before, both of place and time. e. Forne on: right forward, seriatim.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxi. 2. Faratð on þæt castel þæt foran [c. 1160, Hatten, foren] onȝen eow ys.
c. 1200. Ormin, 553.
| & aȝȝ þeȝȝ tokenn efft forrnon | |
| To serrfenn wukemalumm. |
c. 1205. Lay., 20120.
| Vp bræid Arður his sceld | |
| foren to his breosten. | |
| Ibid., 23968. | |
| And his hereburne | |
| gon to falsie, | |
| foren an his hafde. | |
| Ibid., 24032. | |
| Arður beh to þan ȝæte, | |
| forn at þere burȝe. | |
| Ibid., 29269. | |
| & foren to þære nihte | |
| fur þer on brohte. |
1388. Wyclif, Mark xv. 39. But the centurien that stood forn aȝens siȝ, that he so criynge hadde diede, and seide, Verili, this man was Goddis sone.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7758.
| There met hym þis Mawhown, þat was o mysshap, | |
| Euyn forne in his face, as he fle wold. |
B. adj. a. Of place: Anterior, front. b. Of time: Former.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 172/2. Forne parte of a schyppe, or forschyppe.
1485. Caxton, Trevisa’s Higden, II. i. 71 a. From the begynnyng of his forne dedes.
1565. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 340. It was true in Old forne yeeres, about twelue hundred yeeres agoe.
C. prep.
a. Of motion: Before, in front of, in advance of.
O. E. Chron., an. 894. Þa for rad sio fierd hie foran.
c. 1000. [see FORE-RUN].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 51. Leofe moder swim þu foren me.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3541.
| Mac vs godes foren us to gon, | |
| of moyses haue we helpe non. |
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3649. Þe kyng hem passede with-inne a wyle, Forn hem þe mountance of two myle.
b. Of position: Before, before the face of, in sight of. Hence of fighting: In behalf of.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3865.
| God [bad] femelen folc and gon, | |
| And foren hem smiten on ðe ston. |
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (A.), 200. Gij stode forn him in þat flett.
c. 1440. Partonope, 2171.
| I had lever now be forsworn | |
| Than to see hym dye me forn. |
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 3211. A-gaynste her fone I faught hem forne.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., Prol. 70.
| Storyes of loue, where forne the wondring bench, | |
| The lisping gallant might inioy his wench. |
c. Of time: Before.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22429 (Gött.). Forn domes-dai.
d. Of cause: On account of.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 67.
| To mykyll bale was sche borne, | |
| And many a man slayn hur forne, | |
| And in grete batels can dye. |
D. Comb., as forn-cast v. = FORECAST v., to premeditate; forn-father = FOREFATHER; forn-goer, a predecessor; forn-had ppl. a., formerly possessed; forn-said ppl. a. = FORESAID ppl. a.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 472 (521).
| For he with greet deliberacioun | |
| Hadde every thing that her-to mighte avayle | |
| *Forn-cast, and put in execucioun. |
c. 1400. Test. Love, 1. Chaucer’s Wks. (1561), 290 b. Enuie, fornecaste and ymagined.
c. 1340. Cursor Mundi, 9767 (Fairf.).
| Yt was wroȝth and of þe gilt | |
| Adam our *forn-fadir spylt. |
1450–1530. Myrr. our Ladye, 26. The worshyp of god ys songe of many, seuen tymes on the day, after the maner of oure forne-fathers.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 258/1. He hath lerned of his *forn goers whiche dyd that ought not to be forgoten.
1382. Wyclif, Judges xvi. 28. Lord, my God, haue mynde of me, and ȝeeld to me nowe the fornhad [pristinam] strength.
1509. Bury Wills (Camden), 109. I beqweth to my lord ye abbot off ye monastery in Bury *ffornseyd.
