forspeak

Verb

forspeak (third-person singular simple present forspeaks, present participle forspeaking, simple past forspoke or (archaic) forspake, past participle forspoken)

1. (Northern England, Scotland, dialectal, transitive) To injure or cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flattery; to affect with the curse of an evil tongue, which brings ill luck upon all objects of its praise.
   • One is said to forspeak another, when he so commends him as to have a supposed influence in making him practically belie the commendation. If one highly praises a child for sweetness of temper, and the child soon after betrays ill humour; the person, who bestowed the praise, is said to have...[1808, John Jamieson, “To FORSPEAK”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language: […], volume I (A–K) (in Scots), Edinburgh: […] University Press; for W[illiam] Creech, A[rchibald]...
   • "I take ye a' to witness, gude people," said Mortheugh, "that she threatens me wi' mischief, and forespeaks me. If onything but gude happens to me or my fiddle this night, I'll make it the blackest night's job she ever stirred in. [...]"1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VII, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume III (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for...
2. (obsolete, transitive) To bewitch, to charm.
   • How are my powres fore-spoke? what strange distaste is this?[1617?], Thomas Campian [i.e. Thomas Campion], “So Tyr’d are All My Thoughts”, in The Third and Fovrth Booke of Ayres, London: Thomas Snodham, →OCLC, cantus V
   • This Examinat confesseth that shee came to Ioane Gylles house, her Child being sicke, and that shee intreated this Examinat to look on the Child, and to tell her whether it was forspoken or no, and this Examinat said it was forspoken; but when the said Child died she cannot tell.1619, “The Examination of Anne Baker of Bottesford in the County of Leicester Spinster", in The Wonderfvl Discoverie of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip[a] Flower, Daughters of Joan Flower...

   Synonyms:

   bespell, ensorcell, spellbind, bechat, becry, beglammer, bewitch, conjure, enchant, englamour

3. (obsolete, transitive) To forbid, to prohibit; to oppose.
   • Thou haſt foreſpoke my being in theſe warres, / And ſay'ſt, it is not fit.c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...

   Synonyms:

   disallow, foresnaffle, proscribe, prohibit, ban, banish, bar, criminalize, debar, enjoin

4. (obsolete, transitive) To say bad things about; to slander.
   • A mischiefe take thy tatling tongue, the Raven answerde tho. / Thy vaine forspeaking moves me not. And so he forth did go [...]1567, Ovid, translated by Arthur Golding, The xv. Bookes of P. Oudious Naso, Entyltuled Metamorphosis, London: Willyam Seres, →OCLC, book III, page [72]

   Synonyms:

   badmouth, forgab, trash-talk, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear