forlorn English · revision 1353

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fəˈlɔːn/ ''(UK)''; /fɚˈlɔɹn/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|forloren]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) the past participle of ''forlesen'' “to lose, abandon”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[inh|ang|forlēosan|t=to lose, abandon, destroy]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''for-'' “completely” and ''lēosan'' “to lose”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) It is related to German ''verloren'' “lost”^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) and to [[lose]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Disgraced, depraved, morally lost (mid-12th century).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The early senses, morally lost and doomed to destruction, are obsolete.^(OED 1989) The sense of forsaken or abandoned appeared in the 1530s,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989) and that of wretched or miserable in 1582.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The phrase ''forlorn hope'' (1570s) partly translates Dutch ''verloren hoop'', in which ''hoop'' meant “troop”, so that it first named a suicide mission;^(Etymonline) it is now usually understood as “a faint hope”, which has coloured the meaning of ''forlorn''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 725 – Old English ''forlēosan'', in Beowulf.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1137 – disgraced, dishonoured.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1535 – forsaken, abandoned.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1570s – ''forlorn hope''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1582 – wretched, miserable.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1603 – desperate, hopeless.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Sad and lonely because [[abandon|alt=abandoned]] or deserted.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[forsake|alt=Forsaken]] or deprived of something.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # Wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Nearly hopeless; [[desperate]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[forlornly]]

+ * [[forlornness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[forlorn hope]]

+ * [[lovelorn]]

+ * [[lose]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''pitiful'', ''helpless'', ''woebegone'' and ''comfortless'' as synonyms, refers to ''desolate'' for a discussion, and gives ''happy'' as an antonym.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}