The derivation of FORGIVENESS

The derivation of FORGIVENESS
Dewey2k

Dewey2k

You guys are going to get tired of hearing from me.

I was at the weekend retreat and heard an interesting thing about the derivation of the word FORGIVE. Thanks go to Dale English for calling this to my attention.

Here is the derivation from Take Our Word For It :

Forgive was, in Old English, forgiefan 'give, grant, forgive' (from for- 'completely' and -giefan 'give'). Interestingly, this word is a calque (a word translated into one language from another language), having come from Latin perdonare 'forgive, pardon' (clearly the source of the Spanish and French forms). The Latin word was a compound formed from per- `thoroughly' and donare 'give.' The translation from Latin occurred in prehistoric Germanic times, the Proto-Germanic form being *fergeban.
Click to expand...
Notice that the word FORGIVE has nothing to do with excusing what our perps did to us. Instead, think of this in terms of giving the shame they caused us back to THEM. That is, after all, where it belongs.

Forgive? Yes. Excuse? Never.
 
Dwayne,

Now THAT'S a definition I can go for! It's perfect. Thanks for raising this to our attention.

Don't worry, we won't get tired of hearing from you. It's great that you feel able to share all these things.

Much love,
Larry
 
Dwayne,

That is the most powerful definition of the word I've ever seen. A definition that when you think about it encompasses every possible scenario for the word I can come up with.

Thank-you so much for sharing that, and no, I will not get tired of hearing from you :)

Lots of love,

John
 
What a way to look at it. This is indeed very powerful. Thanks for sharing my friend. Bye for now.
 
Dwayne,

I use the word forgive, to say, hey, forgive yourself for all the shit you went through, the hurt and pain that was not ours but theirs.

Think of the torment and anger we impose on ourselves in our non forgiving state.
Who are we hurting! Ourselves of course, by constantly letting anger control our lives.

I can understand anyone who is seething with anger, I did too, but one day I thought, hey, this is doing me damage, not the perp, so I developed ways of coping with it.

Sometimes I write in here about anger from the past, but that is just it, it is anger from the past when it felt impossible to cope, but cope we do, and we get there even through the impossible in life.

I know it can be tough, and I havent read the link, but I know the hurt that not forgiving did to me as a child, and thats all I need to know,

ste
 
I've heard that forgiving is giving up the right that you have to hurt someone else for hurting you.
 
I love that definition of the word. That is one I can do.
 
When I 'forgave' one of my perpetrators some time ago, it was not so much to excuse anything he done to me or anyone else. It was for me to say what I needed to say to him to take back control the situation, and take back the power I give him over me. Some time, still, I have fear or anger of him. But most time, now, him, that one person, it is not more in my nightmares or memories so much. It is maybe not what is meant of 'forgive', in any definition but mine own. But is what it work for me.

Andrei
 
I have never heard that definition before, and it is great. To give back to them, yes, indeed. That is a 'forgiveness' I can do.

Leosha
 
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