Where does “former” come from?
former (Middle English) comes from Middle English forme, from Old English forma, from Old English fore, from Proto-Germanic furai, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “former”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | forme | first; shape, figure, manner, bench, frame, seat,... |
| 2 | Old English | forma | first |
| 3 | Old English | fore | before; forepart, front |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | furai | before, in front of; before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |