Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “theretofore” come from?

Theretofore comes from Middle English þeretofore, from Old English þǣr tōforan, combining þǣr (there) and tōforan (before).

theretofore (English): Until that time; Before that

Definitions

  1. Until that time; Before that

Ancestry of “theretofore”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishther-to-fore—
2Old Englishþǣr tōforan—
Every word from Old English þǣr tōforan →