Where does “heretofore” come from?
Heretofore derives from Middle English heretoforn, a compound of here (here) and toforn (before), meaning before this time or previously.
heretofore (English): Prior to now, until now, up to the present time;...
Definitions
- Prior to now, until now, up to the present time;...
Ancestry of “heretofore”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | heretoforn | — |
| 2 | Old English | tōforan | in front of |
| 3 | Old English | tō | at, on; furthermore, also, besides; to, into |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *tō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tō | to |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | de | Emphatic or contrastive particle, and, but;... |