middle english definition of lorn
Lorn and forlorn are synonyms that can both mean desolate or forsaken.. The similarity in form and meaning of the two words is hardly a coincidence. Lorn comes down to us from loren, the Middle English past participle of the verb lesen (to lose), itself a descendent of the Old English lÄosan. Similarly, forlorn comes from the Middle English forloren, a descendent of Old English verb forlÄosan, which also means to lose..