Definition of forbid

The word "forbid," which means to prohibit or prevent something, has its origins in Old English. In Old English, the word was "forbiddan," which comprised of two roots: "for-," meaning "again" or "previously," and "biddan," meaning "to say" or "to command." The Old English word "forbiddan" represented the past tense and past participle of the verb "forbidden," which was "forbidden" in Old English. In Middle English, the word became "forbidden" as well as "forbiaden" and "forbeden," with "forbidden" being the prevalent spelling by the 15th century. The etymology of the word's component roots can also be traced back to Old English. "For-" stems from "ferh," which transformed into "forh" in Old English and into "for" in Modern English. The "h" dropped from the middle of the word in spoken English at some point in the language’s evolution. "Biddan," on the other hand, comes from "biddan" in Old English, "bidon" in Middle English, and "bidden" in Early Modern English. The participle form of "bidon," "bidden," has slightly different spellings in different dialects of Old English, such as "bedon" and "bidon." Thus, "forbid" in English can be traced back about a thousand years, to when Old English speakers would say "forbiddan." The word's formation reflects the language's deep historical roots, such as the use of prefixes to add meanings to words and the gradual development of various verb forms.