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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Forthink, v. Also: forthynk, -thinke, foirthink. P.t. forthocht, -thoght, -thoucht, -thoicht, forethocht, -thought. [ME. forthinke, forthynke (p.t. forthoght, forþoȝt), early southern forþunchen and forþenchen, OE. *forþyncan and forþencan.]

1. impers. (It) forthinkis (me, thé, him), I (etc.) regret or repent (something. Orig. with object, latterly with nominative of the thing). a1400 Leg. S. xii. 223.
Thane hym for-thocht he had done ill Ib. xxi. 610.
Thu sad thé forthocht Agane hyme that thu had done Ib. xxxii. 601.
For me forthinkis thaim ful sare, & is in wil to syne na mare c1420 Wynt. vi. 1336.
[Of] clerkys … nane am I, That me forthynkys inkyrly c1475 Wall. v. 647.
Sampill I haif; this me forthinkis sar a1500 Henr. III. 174/54.
Grit god is grevit; that me rycht soir forthinkis 1535 Stewart 6505.
Full sair forthinkis me The greit injuris and enormite Done to my sister c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 328.
I luifit to lang, and that forthinkis me 1567 G. Ball. 177.
Baneist is faith now euerie quhair, And sair forthinkes me

2. tr. To think of, or remember, with regret; to repent of, be sorry for.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 172.
For-thinkand that I haf mysdone Ib. xxxiv. 153.
Thu rew of me That now forthinkis sare myn syne c1420 Wynt. v. 5327.
Wyth rewth off hart for-thynk youre syn c1460 Wisd. Sol. 659.
Ire garis a man … say thing that he wyll efter forthink 1490 Irland Mir. I. 12/33.
Forthink thi fautis and ask mercy Ib. 88/28.
It that he now dois, he forthinkis eftir 1533 Bell. Livy I. 36/3.
Gif ȝe be penitent & forthinkis the affinite new contrakkit amang ȝow 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4074.
Scho … sall forthink hir talk or all be done 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 114.
I sall gar thé forthink it that thow hes tirrit my hows a1639 Spotisw. Hist. 456.
Yet was it not long before they did both forthink the bargain 1704 in Coll. Witchcraft (1820) 131.
She would make Jean Bizet forethink what she had done(b, c) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 306.
Thocht he was … fel and bawld Ȝet hym forthocht his mysdede c1450 Cr. Deyng 92.
Syne noyis nocht that is sufficiandly for-thocht 1490 Irland Mir. I. 88/21.
Mony vtheris eftir thar syn repentit and forthochtit 1535 Stewart 43395.
The stang of conscience broddit him so soir. That he forthocht all that he did befoir a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxii. 28.
Had thai … forthocht thair wrang intrusioun. … Thai had nocht cumit to sic confusioun 1583 Sat. P. xlv. 243.
He … secreitlie said he forthoght it

b. Const. with clause (that, etc.) or with infin. c1450-2 Howlat 843.
Thai forthocht that thai faucht a1500 Henr. Fab. 2372.
That he had hecht ane caboik he forthinkis c1475 Wall. ix. 1849.
Thow sall forthink sic maister for to mak 1533 Gau 100/3.
We forthink that we haiff … lichtlit thy halie word 1535 Stewart 55927.
Scho forthocht that scho ȝeid by the gait a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxv. 7.
He forthoucht that he had brocht Ane dum wyf hame for geir 1604 Elgin Rec. II. 125.
Scho suld gar him forthink that he keist a stane at hir calff

3. intr. To feel repentance or regret.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii. 1248.
Thow sall forthink, have thow no dreid 1490 Irland Mir. I. 73/12.
He may forthink and haue contricioun, and ask mercy a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 398.
With hert forthink, syne with gret piete say: I am gret caus of all the cruell pane 1547–9 Liber Offic. S. Andree 139.
Quharfor I forthink and askis God and ȝow forgifwance 1630 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 260.
I … fear that ȝo and I sall … forthink if that be not provydit(b) a1400 Leg. S. v. 241.
Tha twa ȝonge mene … that for-thocht be-cause that thai Had sald thare gud sa clene a-way 1490 Irland Mir. I. 116/22.
Thocht auld Adam forfautit agane thi maieste, he forthocht, he humylit him a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 507.
Judas forthoucht, and restorit agane The thretty pennyis 1535 Stewart 34353.
He forthocht full soir Of the grit wrang