Part 294

2. Disposition to pardon; willingness to forgive.

If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

Ps. cxxx. 3, 4.

Syn. -- Pardon, remission. -- Forgiveness, Pardon. Forgiveness is Anglo-Saxon, and pardon Norman French, both implying a giving back. The word pardon, being early used in our Bible, has, in religious matters, the same sense as forgiveness; but in the language of common life there is a difference between them, such as we often find between corresponding Anglo-Saxon and Norman words. Forgive points to inward feeling, and suppose alienated affection; when we ask forgiveness, we primarily seek the removal of anger. Pardon looks more to outward things or consequences, and is often applied to trifling matters, as when we beg pardon for interrupting a man, or for jostling him in a crowd. The civil magistrate also grants a pardon, and not forgiveness. The two words are, therefore, very clearly distinguished from each other in most cases which relate to the common concerns of life.

For*giv"er (?), n. One who forgives. Johnson.

For*giv"ing, a. Disposed to forgive; inclined to overlook offenses; mild; merciful; compassionate; placable; as, a forgiving temper.

-- For*giv"ing*ly, adv. -- For*giv"ing*ness, n. J. C. Shairp.

For*go" (?), v. t. [imp. Forwent; p. p. Forgone; p. pr. & vb. n. Forgoing.] [OE. forgan, forgon, forgoon, AS. forgn, prop., to go past, hence, to abstain from; pref. for- + gn to go; akin to G. vergehen to pass away, to transgress. See Go, v. i.] To pass by; to leave. See 1st Forego.

For sith [since] I shall forgoon my liberty At your request.

Chaucer.

And four since Florimell the court forwent.

Spenser.

This word in spelling has been confused with, and almost superseded by, forego to go before. Etymologically the form forgo is correct.

For*got" (?), imp. & p. p. of Forget.

For*got"ten (?), p. p. of Forget.

For*hall" (?), v. t. [Pref. for- + hale to draw.] To harass; to torment; to distress. [Obs.] Spenser.

For*hend" (?), v. t. To seize upon. [Obs.]

Fo*rin"se*cal (?), a. [L. forinsecus from without.] Foreign; alien. [Obs.] Bp. Burnet.

Fo`ris*fa*mil"i*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Forisfamiliated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Forisfamiliating (?).] [LL. forisfamiliatus, p. p. of forisfamiliater to forisfamiliate; L. foris abroad, without + familia family.] (LAw) Literally, to put out of a family; hence, to portion off, so as to exclude further claim of inheritance; to emancipate (as a with his own consent) from paternal authority. Blackstone.

Fo`ris*fa*mil"i*ate, v. i. (Law) To renounce a legal title to a further share of paternal inheritance.

Fo`ris*fa*mil`i*a"tion (?), n. (Law) The act of forisfamiliating.

Fork (fÙrk), n. [AS. forc, fr. L. furca. Cf. FourchÈ, Furcate.] 1. An instrument consisting of a handle with a shank terminating in two or more prongs or tines, which are usually of metal, parallel and slightly curved; -- used for piercing, holding, taking up, or pitching anything.

2. Anything furcate or like a fork in shape, or furcate at the extremity; as, a tuning fork.

3. One of the parts into which anything is furcated or divided; a prong; a branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a barbed point, as of an arrow.

Let it fall . . . though the fork invade The region of my heart.

Shak.

A thunderbolt with three forks.

Addison.