Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fore” come from?

Fore comes from Old English fore-, from Proto-Germanic furai-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, meaning "forward" or "in front."

fore (English): Former; occurring earlier ; previous; Forward;...

Definitions

  1. Former; occurring earlier ; previous; Forward;...

Ancestry of “fore”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishfore-Positioned at or near the front; Before; ahead or...
2EnglishForeA people of Papua New Guinea
3GermanFahr—
4GermanFähreferry
5Middle High Germanverren—
6Old High Germanferranafrom afar
7Old High Germanferroafar; skipper
8Proto-West Germanic*ferrō—
9Proto-Germanicferraifar, distant
10Proto-Indo-Europeanper-nóy—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “fore”

  • foremast
  • foreward
  • forereef
  • forehatch
  • forebulge
  • foreright
  • forecheck
  • foreanent
  • foremastman
  • forechecker
  • foredraft
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →