before

English

/bɪˈfɔː/, /bəˈfɔɹ/, /bɪˈfo(ː)ɹ/, /bɪˈfoə/

prep
Definitions
  • Earlier than (in time).
  • In front of in space.
  • In the presence of.
  • Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).
  • In store for, in the future of (someone).
  • In front of, according to a formal system of ordering items.
  • At a higher or greater position than, in a ranking.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English before inherited from Old English beforan derived from Proto-Germanic *furai (before, in front of) derived from Proto-Indo-European *per- (risk, bring forth, fare, through, try, go, traverse, across, carry forth, bring forward, produce, procure, forth, before, attempt, over, go over, pass through, go through, beyond, research, bear, forward, penetrate, put across, sell, lead across, front, formerly, dare, throughout, ferry, cross, transfer, pierce, strike, a going, peril, first, beat, out, passage, of, bring carry over, pass, next, in front).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*per-

Gloss

risk, bring forth, fare, through, try, go, traverse, across, carry forth, bring forward, produce, procure, forth, before, attempt, over, go over, pass through, go through, beyond, research, bear, forward, penetrate, put across, sell, lead across, front, formerly, dare, throughout, ferry, cross, transfer, pierce, strike, a going, peril, first, beat, out, passage, of, bring carry over, pass, next, in front

Concept
Semantic Field

Miscellaneous function words

Ontological Category

Other

Kanji

次

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms