Where does “toforehand” come from?

toforehand (English) comes from English tofore, from Middle English tofore, from Middle English to-, from Middle English to, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos — to stretch, to extend.

toforehand (English): Beforehand, previously

Definitions

  1. Beforehand, previously

Ancestry of “toforehand”, step by step

toforehand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English tofore

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoforeBefore
2Middle EnglishtoforeIn front, ahead; in the first position in a...
3Middle Englishto-Affixed to verbs and verb inflections to impart a...
4Middle Englishtotoe; to; too
5Middle Englishtonethe one
6LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
7Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
8Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
9Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
10Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

via English Hand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHandThe part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals
2Middle Englishhondhand; Alternative form of hound
3Old EnglishhandA hand
4Proto-West Germanichanduhand
5SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
6Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
7Old Norsehǫndhand
8Proto-Germanichanduzhand
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten-Every word from Proto-Indo-European tónosEvery word from Proto-Hellenic tónos