forget
UK[fəˈɡet]US[fərˈɡet]
v
To be unable to remember a fact, something that happened, or how to do something.
v
To fail to remember to do something, such as bring or buy something.
v
To stop thinking about someone or something; to deliberately put something out of your mind.
Etymology
The word "forget" originates from the Old English forgietan, a compound of the intensive prefix for- and the verb gietan, meaning "to grasp or get." Its core logic is the concept of "losing one's mental grasp" on information or a memory. This sense evolved from the literal idea of letting something slip from one's physical grasp to the metaphorical release of a thought from one's mind. Over time, the phonetic form simplified from forgietan to Middle English forgeten, solidifying the modern abstract meaning of failing to remember.
Analysis
This is a tight Germanic root word. It is derived from the Old English verb forgietan, which combined the prefix for- (meaning "away, off, completely") with the verb gietan (meaning "to grasp"). The combined sense was "to lose one's grasp on something."
Examples
I completely forgot her name.
Don't forget to lock the door when you leave.
He tried to forget the painful memories of the past.