To forge can mean to shape metal by heating and hammering it, or to create something strong like a relationship or agreement. It can also mean to illegally copy something, such as a signature or document.
From Old French “forgier” and Latin “fabricare” meaning “to make” or “to build,” related to working with metal. The idea of shaping something real later extended to making fake copies too.
It’s wild that the same word covers both creating something strong and creating something fake. That’s because both involve skillful shaping—one shapes metal or trust, the other shapes illusions that look real.
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