Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “tofore” come from?

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

tofore (Middle English): In front, ahead; in the first position in a...

Definitions

  1. In front, ahead; in the first position in a...

Ancestry of “tofore”, step by step

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

Words derived from “tofore”

  • tofore
  • toforehand
  • toforetime
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →