tofore

English

Alternative forms

• toforne (14th – 16th centuries)

Etymology

From Middle English tofore, toforn, from Old English tōforan (“in front of”), from tō (“to”) + foran (“front, fore-part”, n.), dative case of fora (“front”). Compare Dutch tevoren (“previously”), German zuvor (“before, previously”). More at to, fore.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /təˈfɔː(ɹ)/

Preposition

tofore

1. (obsolete) Before.

Derived terms

• heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore

Adverb

tofore (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Before, previously.
   • 1592, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus:

     Farewell, Lavinia, my noble sister ; O would thou wert as thou tofore hast been!

Conjunction

tofore

1. (obsolete) Before.

Anagrams

• foetor, footer, fœtor, refoot

Middle English

Alternative forms

• (adverb and preposition): toforen, tofor, toforon, toforn, toforne, toforan, toffor, toffore, tofforn, toforowe, tofour, tovor, tovore, tovoren, tefor, tefore, teforen
• (conjunction): toforn, tofor, to-fore, to-forn, to-for

Etymology

From Old English tōforan; equivalent to to- +‎ fore.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːˈfɔːr(ə)/, /toːˈfɔːr(ə)n/, /tɔ-/, /tə-/

Adverb

tofore

1. In front, ahead; in the first position in a sequence.
2. At a prior time; beforehand, earlier.
3. (in texts) Found above; found in a prior section.

Descendants

• English: tofore (obsolete)

References

• “tofore(n, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 10 April 2018.

Preposition

tofore

1. In front of.
2. Closer than something (with reference to the speaker).
3. In the presence of; before.
4. Earlier than; prior to.
5. To a degree greater than; more so than.

Descendants

• English: tofore (obsolete)

References

• “tofore(n, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 10 April 2018.

Conjunction

tofore

1. Indicates that the antecedent clause occurred before the consequent clause in time.
   • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], (please specify the book number), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:

     Never sith myght he be heled, ne nought shal tofore we come to hym.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• As a conjunction, tofore is often paired with þat.

References

• “tofore, conj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 10 April 2018.

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtoːˌfoː.re/

Verb

tōfōre

1. inflection of tōfaran:
   1. second-person singular preterite indicative
   2. singular preterite subjunctive

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˌto.ˈfo.re]

Verb

tofore

1. (intransitive) to tremble

Conjugation

Conjugation of tofore

		singular	plural
			inclusive	exclusive
1st person		totofore	fotofore	mitofore
2nd person		notofore	nitofore
3rd person	masculine	otofore	itofore yotofore (archaic)
	feminine	motofore
	neuter	itofore

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001) A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh