Where does “formerly” come from?
Formerly derives from English form, which comes from Old French forme, from Latin forma meaning "shape," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning "to produce or bring forth."
formerly (English): at some time in the past; previously; once
Definitions
- at some time in the past; previously; once
Ancestry of “formerly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | former | Previous; First of aforementioned two items. Used... |
| 2 | Middle English | former | — |
| 3 | Middle English | forme | first; shape, figure, manner, bench, frame, seat,... |
| 4 | Old English | forma | first |
| 5 | Old English | fore | before; forepart, front |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | furai | before, in front of; before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |