forstand

/fə(ɹ)ˈstænd/

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan (“to defend, help, protect, withstand, prevent, hinder, resist, oppose, benefit, avail, understand, signify, be equal to”), from Proto-West Germanic *frastandan (“to understand, oppose”), equivalent to for- + stand. Cognate with West Frisian ferstean (“to understand”), Saterland Frisian ferstounde (“to understand”), Dutch verstaan (“to understand”), German verstehen (“to understand”). Compare also Norwegian Bokmål forstå (“to comprehend, understand”), Swedish förstå (“to comprehend, understand”).

forstand means to stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.

forstand is pronounced /fə(ɹ)ˈstænd/.

Why “forstand” is a great word

FORSTAND — [Verb] To comprehend or understand; or, historically, to stand against, oppose, or withstand. From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan ("to defend, withstand, understand"), itself from Proto-West Germanic *frastandan ("to understand, oppose"), formed from the prefix for- (with intensive or completive sense) + standan ("to stand"). Unlike "understand," which polishes comprehension into a mental abstraction, or "withstand," which implies a purely defensive posture, "forstand" carries the primal weight of its roots: to stand completely before something, whether to grasp its essence or to bar its path. It is the sentinel planting his feet to bar the gate, the scholar’s mind fixing upon a difficult truth, and the sudden, cool clarity when a long-resisted idea finally comes to rest within you—a single, grounded posture where all understanding is a kind of standing your ground.

verb

To stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.“And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]”
To understand; comprehend.“How can I forstand your Professors, when they dinna forstand themselves.”