prep., adv., and conj. Obs. Forms: α. 1–2 tóforan, (1 -on), 2–3 toforen, 3–5 to foren, 4–6 toforn(e, 4–7 to forn(e. β. 3 to vore, 3–4 tovore, 3–6 to for, (3 te for), 3–7 to fore, 4–6 tofor, 4–7 tofore, (5 toffore), 6 Sc. to-foir. γ. Sc. 5 to forowe, toforowe, 6 to forrow. [OE. tóforan, f. TO prep. + foran adv., deriv. of OTeut. *fora fore, for: see BEFORE, also AFORE, ATFORE, HERETOFORE. Cognate with Fris. tô-fora, OS. te foran, MHG. zevor, zuovor, -vorn, Ger. zuvor.]
A. prep.
1. of motion: To before, to the front of; of position: In front of; = BEFORE B. 2.
a. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. xii. [xiv.] (1890), 196. Se cyning … stop ofostlice toforan [ðam] biscope, & feoll to his forum.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke x. 8. Etað þæt eow toforan aset ys.
c. 1275. Lay., 31548. Þo stot him vp Penda: To-vore þan heȝe kinge.
c. 1300. Beket, 2001. That bred … that tofore him lay.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter, liii. [liv.] 3. [Thei] ne sett nouȝt God to-forn her syȝt.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xiv. 346. He cast hym deed to fore his fete.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, IV. 264. Tofore thaltars, in presence of the Gods.
b. Into or in the presence of; in the sight or cognizance of; = BEFORE B. 3.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxv. 32. Ealle þeoda beoþ toforan hym ʓegaderude.
10[?]. Leg. Rood (1871), 11/4. Þæt hio rædlice coman toforan þare mære cwenan þa hio beforan hire stodan.
c. 1070. O. E. Chron., an. 1070 (Parker MS.). Se arcebiscop … þæt ylce ʓefæstnode toforan þam papan Alexandre.
c. 1205. Lay., 14071. Þan kinge he eode to-foren.
1340. Ayenb., 218. Þe ilke comþ to-uore god mid ydele honden.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 347. He knowleched his trespas openliche tofore þe bisshop and al þe peple.
1493. Festivall (W. de W., 1515), 14 b. Anone tofore them he made a blynde man to se.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, I. xxxv. All tofore their chieftaine mustred beene.
c. Tofore God: in the sight of God; at the tribunal of God; hence as an asseveration (also God tofore), by God: cf. BEFORE B. 3 b, 4, 5.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 800 (849). So shal I do to morw I-wis … And god to-forn.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. V. 457. And made avowe to-fore god for his foule sleuthe.
a. 1450. Myrc, Par. Pr., 213. That ys feyre to-fore god.
a. 1500. Chaucer’s Dreme, 1281. Madame … god tofore, ye shul be there.
2. Of position in motion: In advance of, ahead of: = BEFORE B. 1. (In quot. 1297 with a pursuer as object; cf. BEFORE B. 1 c.)
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke i. 17. He gæð toforan him on gaste and Elias mihte.
c. 1250. Old Kentish Serm., in O. E. Misc., 26. Swo kam si sterre þet yede to-for hem in-to ierusalem.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2202. Ȝe ne conne bote fle Ase ssep to vore wolues.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1906), 63. .ij. yonge women … wolde haue hasted hem tofore her felawes.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, I. xxxvii. Their wonted ensigne, they tofore them bring.
3. Of time: Previously to, earlier than; BEFORE B. 7–9
a. 1000. in Cockayne, Narrat. (1861), 16. Hit wæs to foran dæʓes.
c. 1025. O. E. Chron., an. 1013. On þam ilcan ʓeare to foran þam monðe Augustus.
c. 1275. Woman of Samaria, 5, in O. E. Misc., 84. A lutel te-for þe tyme.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 165. Carthago was i-buld þre score ȝere and twelue to fore þe citee of Rome.
1440. in Wars Eng. in France (1864), II. 455. Not longe tyme tofore his deth.
1577–87. Holinshed, Scott. Chron. (1805), II. 198. Rather … than we did tofore his fathers invasion.
4. Of rank, order, or preference: In precedence of or preference to; beyond, more than; rather than; = BEFORE B. 10, 11.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., Prayer (at end). Þæt ic mæʓe þe inweardlice lufian toforon eallum þingum.
1000. Ælfric, Deut. vii. 14. ʓe beoþ ʓebletsod toforan eallum oþrum mannum. Ibid. (c. 1000), Hom., I. 208. Assa is stunt nyten … and toforan oðrum nytenum unʓesceadwis.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 117. He is on heuene on his kine setle to-foran oðer mennen.
a. 1272. A Luue Ron, 155, in O. E. Misc., 98. Nys non betere vnder heouene grunde. He is to-fore alle oþre i-coren.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter, xliv. [xlv.] 3. Fair artou … in fourme to-fore mennes sones.
14[?]. Chaucer’s Pars. T., ¶ 677 (Harl. MS.). Thus is he an auerous man þat loueth his tresor toforn god.
b. Of serial order: Before, preceding.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 61. Þe peple putte hir owne names to fore þe names of hir felawes.
5. Besides, over and above. rare. (Cf. B. 5.)
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 584. Salomon eac forʓeaf þære cwene swa hwæs swa heo ʓyrnde æt him, toforan ðære cynelican lace ðe he hire ʓeaf.
B. adv. (not in OE.).
1. Of time: Previously, beforehand, earlier; heretofore, in the past; = BEFORE A. 5.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 121. Al swa þet writ seide bi him muchel to-foran.
1258. Proclam. Hen. III. Þurȝ þe besiȝte of þan to foren iseide redesmen.
1340. Ayenb., 7. He deþ aye þe heste of god to uore yzed.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 142. Ac his witt welt he after, as wel as to fore.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 110. Þat I have told to forn.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., ii. New partit out of slepe a lyte tofore. Ibid., xxiii. The way we tuke, the tyme I tald to-forowe [rhymes morowe, borowe].
a. 1425. Cursor M., 3010 (Trin.). Ysaac hir son … Þat was longe bihet to forn [earlier MSS. biforn, be-forne].
1481. Caxton, Reynard, xxxiv. (Arb.), 100. I am more hongry now than I was to fore.
1546. Supplic. of Poore Commons (E.E.T.S.), 61. Not many yeres tofore.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., c. Mortimer, Earle of March, in the right Line Discendent, and to fore declared Heire.
2. Of position: In front; = BEFORE A. 2.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 1871. Sadok toforn haþ him sinete Of his scheld a quarter wiþ gret hete.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 105. Þe senewis tofore hen drawe togidere.
14[?]. Beryn, 155. It is a spere, yf thowe canst se, with a prik tofore.
3. Of motion: In advance, ahead; = BEFORE A. 1.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1365. Now wendeþ to forn, on of ȝou, & tel anon þe king.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 24570. Send hem toforne, on thy massage.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, II. ix. 85. xx of hem rode to fore to warne the lady.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. Prol. 419. Saying he followit Virgillis lantern to forne, Quhen Eneas to Dido was forsworne.
4. Of rank: In precedence; cf. BEFORE A. 4.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xci. 416 (Add. MS.). Þe proude man wil all wey be sette aboue and be-fore oþer, he wil all way be putte tofore in Euery place.
1481. Caxton, Godeffroy, cxci. 280. Without doubte the spyrituel thynges be more digne and worthy than the temporall. Therfore … the moost hye thynges ought to goo to fore.
5. Beforehand; in hand for the future; left over. Cf. mod.Sc. to the fore.
1597. Trials for Witchcraft, in Spalding Misc. (1841), I. 95. Hir and hir guidman … suld newir haue frie geir tofoir.
C. conj. Of time: = BEFORE C. 1. a. with that: cf. BEFORE C. 1 a.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter, lxxxix. [xc.] 2. To-fore þat þe mounteins were made.
1388. Wyclif, Matt. x. 23. To fore that mannus sone come.
1484. Caxton, Curial, 12. Tofore that thou hast ony offyces.
b. simply: cf. BEFORE C. 1 b.
1464. Rolls of Parlt., V. 563/2. Tofore it passe out of any of the seid Townes.
1477. Sir J. Paston, in P. Lett., III. 187. Iff I had hadde it toffore he wente.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 9. So cannot he condemne him for an Heretike tofore he be detected of errour.
c. Tofore or (= ere): cf. BEFORE C. 1 c.
c. 1440. Lydg., Hors, Shepe & G., 5 (Lamb. MS.). On shreffe thursday toforne or he was dede!
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. i. Tofore or Adam synned. Ibid. (1485), Paris & V. (1868), 30. Alwaye tofore or he wente to hys bedde.
D. Comb.: toforegoing a., foregoing, preceding, antecedent; toforehand adv., beforehand, previously; toforesaid a., previously mentioned, aforesaid; toforetime adv., previously, aforetime.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. iii. (Skeat), l. 180. That oon is *toforgoing necessite, whiche maketh thing to be. Ibid., viii. 30. Onely through grace tofornegooyng.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 147. I-wrete of hym an hondred ȝere and twenty ȝere *to forehonde. Ibid., VI. 175. Seint Aldelyn was to forehonde abbot of Malteby, þat is Malmesbury.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. vi. (Skeat), l. 154. Of errours coming herafter, men may lightly to forne hande puruaye remedye.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 3681. As ye haue herd tofore hond.
1258. *To foren iseide [see B. 1].
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. iv. (Skeat), l. 261. If thou have knowing of these to-fornsaid thinges.
1444. Rolls of Parlt., V. 121/2. Founden by an enquerre bi the Baillifs toforeseid.
c. 1400. Three Kings Cologne, 82 (Cambr. MS.). Þe sterre þat *tofore-tyme ȝede a-fore hem.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 46. Him semed that he hadde seen them tofore tyme.
