See also: aforé, afore-, and a-fore

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English afore, aforn, from Old English onforan or ætforan; equivalent to a- +‎ fore.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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afore (not comparable)

  1. (archaic, dialect) Before.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
      Stephano: He's in his fit now ; and doe's not talke after the wiſeſt ; hee ſhall taſte of my Bottle : if hee haue neuer drunke wine afore, it will goe neere to remoue his Fit : []
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well.
  2. (nautical) In the fore part of a ship.

Preposition

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afore

  1. Before; in advance of the time of.
    • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
      He said he was jealous, and craved something to ease his care. 'It's but a small thing I ask,' says he, 'but it will make me a happy man, and nothing ever shall come atween us. Tryst wi' me for Beltane's E'en on the Sker sands, at the green link o' the burn where the sands begin, on the ebb o' the tide when midnight is by, but afore cockcrow. For,' said he, 'that was our forbears' tryst for true lovers, and wherefore no for you and me?'
    • 1982, Edward Chisnall, Bell in the Tree: The Glasgow story:
      "Oh aye!" his face lit up with a smile. "I mind that! Where was that?" "That was us when we all worked in the shop, afore the War." "Oh aye …?" he frowned. "Who …?" She took the photograph back from him and reached inside her apron pocket for her spectacles.
  2. Before; situated geographically or metaphorically in front of.

Conjunction

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afore

  1. In advance of the time when; before.

Derived terms

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old English onforan or ætforan; equivalent to a- +‎ fore.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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afore

  1. before; afore

Preposition

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afore

  1. before; afore: in advance of the time of
    • c. 1370–1450, Laurence de Premierfait, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes, as quoted in Lydgate's Fall of Princes (1923, The Carnegie Institution of Washington):
      Affor tyme thei wer but bestiall,
      Till thei to resoun be lawes wer constreyned,
      Vndir discrecioun bi statutis naturall
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. before; afore: situated geographically or metaphorically in front of
    • 1399, Rich. Redeless IV, 72
      and somme were so ffers
      at ffrist come,
      that they bente on a bonet,
      and bare a topte saile
      affor the wynde ffresshely,
      to make a good ffare
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjunction

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afore

  1. before; afore: in advance of the time when

Descendants

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  • English: afore
  • Scots: afore
  • Yola: avar, avare

References

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Old English

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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āfōre

  1. second-person singular preterite indicative of āfaran

Portuguese

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Verb

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afore

  1. inflection of aforar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Scots

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Etymology

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From Middle English afore, aforn, from Old English onforan or ætforan; equivalent to a- +‎ fore.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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afore (not comparable)

  1. (of place) before, in front
  2. (of time) before, previously, in advance

Preposition

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afore

  1. (of place) before, in front of
  2. (of time) before

Conjunction

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afore

  1. (of place) before, rather than

References

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Spanish

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Verb

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afore

  1. inflection of aforar (to gauge, to measure):
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative