An archaic term meaning to stand before, oppose, or resist; to understand (in some dialects).
From Old English 'for-' (before, against) + 'stand.' This word could mean either physical opposition or the more abstract notion of comprehension depending on context and dialect.
The jump from 'stand before something' to 'understand it' is the same mental leap that happened in German ('verstehen' = under-stand)—bodies standing and minds grasping use the same metaphor.
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