Origin
Origin obscure, but apparently akin to Scots forlegen, forlagen (“utterly worn out, completely exhausted”), Danish and Norwegian forlegen (“embarrassed, perplexed”), Dutch verlagen (“abashed, degraded, soiled, abased”), equivalent to for- + lain. The sense development may be due to Scandinavian influence, compare Faroese leggjask firi (“to become exhausted”), Old Norse leggjask fyrir (“to give up hope”).
