Etymology

former

F4O1R1M3E1R1

Today it means: Previous. Full definition →

Middle English former ← Old English forma ← Proto-Germanic *frumô
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

former · adjective, noun1

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*frumô
  2. Old English · inherited fromforma“first”
  3. Middle English · inherited fromformer
  4. English todayformer

Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (thence before), from Proto-Germanic.

former · noun2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromformere
  2. English todayformer

Inherited from Middle English formere. By surface analysis, form + -er.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.