afore
UK[əˈfɔː]US[əˈfɔːr]
prep
In front of; before (in place or position).
adv
Before; previously; earlier in time.
Morpheme Breakdown
a
fore
a
on, in, at
fore
front, before
Etymology
The word 'afore' is a compound formed within Old English from the preposition 'a-' (a reduced form of 'on') and the adverb 'fore'. The prefix 'a-' here intensifies or locates the sense of the root 'fore', which derives from the Proto-Germanic fura- and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European per- meaning 'forward, through, in front of'. This combination literally meant 'on or at the front'. While 'afore' was common in Middle and Early Modern English, its functions have largely been absorbed in contemporary usage by the simpler 'before', relegating 'afore' to dialectal, archaic, or fixed legal/nautical contexts.
Analysis
Structure: a (on, in, at) + fore (front, before)
a: A prefix of Old English origin, from the preposition 'on', meaning 'on', 'in', 'at', or 'to'.
fore: A root of Old English origin, from 'fore' meaning 'before (in place or time)', 'in front', or 'the front part'.
Examples
He stood afore the judge to hear the verdict.
The ship's mast was located afore the bridge.
I had told him afore not to take that path.