different between prognosticate vs foretoken

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin prognosticare; see prognostic for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p????n?st?ke?t/

Verb

prognosticate (third-person singular simple present prognosticates, present participle prognosticating, simple past and past participle prognosticated)

1. (transitive) To predict or forecast, especially through the application of skill.

   Examining the tea-leaves, she prognosticated dark days ahead.

   • 1598 – William Shakespeare, Sonnet xiv

     But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
     And constant stars in them I read such art
     As 'Truth and beauty shall together thrive,
     If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert';
     Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
     'Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.'

   • ...to-morrow I intend lengthening the night till afternoon. I prognosticate for myself an obstinate cold, at least.

   • 1915 – Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out ch. 2

     All old people and many sick people were drawn, were it only for a foot or two, into the open air, and prognosticated pleasant things about the course of the world.

2. (transitive) To presage, betoken.

   The bluebells may prognosticate an early spring this year.

Synonyms

• presage, prophesy, foretell

Related terms

• prognosis
• prognostication

Translations

Italian

Verb

prognosticate

1. second-person plural present indicative of prognosticare
2. second-person plural imperative of prognosticare
3. feminine plural of prognosticato

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English foretokne, fortacne, from Old English foret?cn, foret?cen (“foretoken, presage, prognostic, prodigy, sign, wonder”), equivalent to fore- +? token. Cognate with Dutch voorteken, German Low German Vörteken, German Vorzeichen.

Noun

foretoken (plural foretokens)

1. A prognostic; a premonitory sign; warning or presentment.

Etymology 2

From Middle English *foretoknen, fortaknen, from Old English foret?cnian (“to foreshow”).

Verb

foretoken (third-person singular simple present foretokens, present participle foretokening, simple past and past participle foretokened)

1. (transitive) To betoken beforehand; prognosticate; foreshadow; give warning of; presage.

Derived terms

• foretokening