aforetime

English

Etymology

From Middle English a fore tyme, afore tyme, aforetyme, afortym, a-for-tyme, afortymez; equivalent to afore- +‎ time.

Adverb

aforetime (not comparable)

1. (archaic) In time past; in a former time; formerly.

   Synonym: aforetimes

   • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 564:

     Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great river of sweet water, running with a strong current; whereupon I called to mind the boat-raft I had made aforetime and said to myself, "Needs must I make another; haply I may free me from this strait. […] "

Translations

formerly

• Bulgarian: преди (bg) (predi), някога (bg) (njakoga)
• German: früher (de)

Adjective

aforetime (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Former.
   • 1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 212:

     To him, despite the housekeeper, there was an impropriety in Ursula, the elderly ex-parson, and Andrew living under the one roof - a matter that, for all his aforetime vigilance, had escaped Mr. Civil.

Noun

aforetime (plural aforetimes)

1. (archaic) A former time.
   • 1902 February, Pascal Grand, “A Chef and His Development”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume XXVI, number 5, New York, N.Y.: Frank A[ndrew] Munsey, section “The Choice of Utensils”, page 635, column 1:

     In the modern kitchen waste is guarded against as strenuously as ever in the aforetimes; but the remnants are used with knowledge—with a scientific attention to flavor and to the nature of the ingredients.

   • 1909 November 14, “Oakland Is on the Eve of Great Developments; Realty Men Looking South; Western Pacific Improvements Creating New Prospects and Waterfront Improvement Opening New Vistas of Realty Values”, in Oakland Tribune, volume LXXII, number 86, Oakland, Calif., Real Estate section, page 37, column 1:

     The aforetime of stereotyping residence styles, so to speak, has been abandoned altogether, and, inside of uniformity, variety is sought to be developed by the architects.

   • 2002, Michael L. Morgan, editor, Spinoza: Complete Works with Translations by Samuel Shirley, Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 615:

     Prov. 8:23 מקַּדמי ארץ really means from all the aforetimes of the earth.

   • 2009, René Char, translated by Gustaf Sobin, “October’s Judgment”, in The Brittle Age and Returning Upland, Denver, Colo.: Counterpath Press, →ISBN, page 135:

     Cheek to cheek, two beggars in stiffened distress, / Untrained by the wind and frost, and unheeded; / Children of an aforetime / Fallen from extended seasons, that stand there, / Huddled.

     [original: Joue contre joue deux gueuses en leur détresse roidie; / La gelée et le vent ne les ont point instruites, les ont négligées; / Enfants d’arrière-histoire / Tombées des saisons dépassantes et serrées là debout.]