Forgain
/fɔːrˈɡeɪn/noun
An archaic verb meaning to gain back or regain.
Did you know?Forgain is built from the prefix for- plus gain, with for- historically able to express restoration or reversal—not the modern sense of “for” as in “for someone.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰengʰ-
“A reconstructed root associated with stepping, going, or moving forward.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gagni-
“A form connected with the idea of what is opposite, direct, or encountered.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
gegn
“Straight, direct, opposite, or against.”
Middle English
Middle English
gain / gayn
“Advantage, benefit, profit, or something obtained.”
16th–17th Century
English
forgain
“To gain again; to regain—now obsolete or dialectal.”