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Glite Dictionary
⏰ Before (event) ⏳ Before now 👑 In front of
afore

afore

1 9.9
Used in old language to mean in front of someone or before a time
  • adposition
  • /əˈfɔː/
  • Archaic
: delante
  • In the old days, people would rise early afore the sun to start their daily chores.

Examples

  • Shake hands afore you change your mind again.

    The Big Trail (1930)

  • Now, shall I speak afore Mr Hunt or after him?

    Peterloo (2018)

  • And I'll be in Scotland afore ye

    25th Hour (2002)

  • Best find me some winks afore the day draws farther on.

    The Lighthouse (2019)

  • "Better see what's what afore the professors stab each other with quills or something.

    Blog text (23)

  • "My pappy was a Democrat and my grandpappy afore him was a Democrat; we McCoys have always been Democrats, and we don't see any reason to change now."

    Blog text (8)

  • The townsfolk gathered at the square, remembering those who stood afore them in the struggle for freedom.

  • They had to present their case afore the council before any decisions could be made.

Synonyms

before
vsafore
∞ 1.0

In front of people or things

is an older dialect form used instead of the common modern term

Surface Forms

afore main

Morphology

afore = (semi-transparent) = a + fore

The form is historically compositional as a- + fore, but the archaic prefix and limited modern productivity make the meaning only partly transparent to contemporary learners. [Postprocessing: moved 'fore' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Afore comes from old English parts a- ('at' or 'in') and fore ('front' or 'before'), so it originally meant being 'at the front' of something. That's why to stand afore the king is to be 'in front of' him.