Where does “tofore” come from?

tofore (Middle English) comes from Old English tōforan, from Old English foran, from Old English fora — front; before; forepart, front.

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

tofore traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English tōforan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtōforanin front of
2Old Englishforanbefore
3Old Englishforafront; before; forepart, front

via Middle English fore

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishforefore; four; therefore

Words derived from “tofore”

Every word from Old English fora →Every word from Old English foran →Every word from Old English tōforan →