English

Adverb

affor ‎(not comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of afore

Preposition

affor

1. Obsolete spelling of afore ‎(“before, in advance of the time of”)
   • 1501 Testamenta Eboracensia: A Selection of Wills from the Registry at York Vol. IV (1869, York District Probate Registry, England), page 196:

     providid that if it happen one of theym to decesse affor sche be maried, her porcion to be disposed to th’use and behove of Robert my son […]

   • 1630-1650, William Bradford, journal, as quoted by Janet Farrell Brodie, Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth-Century America (1994, Cornell University Press), page 38:

     prayed him to forgive her, for Lyford had overcome her, and defiled her body before mariage affor he had comended him onto her for a husband.

   • 1881, John Matthias Weylland, Our Veterans: Life-stories of the London City Mission, page 168:

     I was in here four times, and went out to try to get on, but couldn't, affor I comed in sixteen years ago, and my old woman was in affor she died.

2. Obsolete spelling of afore ‎(“before, geographically or metaphorically in front of”)
   • 16C, title unavailable, as quoted by Arthur Geoffrey Dickens, Clifford Letters of the Sixteenth Century (1962), volume [illegible], page 116:

     She wold have putt in her bill of complant affor my Lord of Richmonde’s counsell.

   • 1856, the Rev. F. R. Raines, M.A., F.S.A., “Examynatyons Towcheynge Cokeye More”, in Remains Historical and Literary Connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester, volume 37 (Chetham Society), page 20:

     Theyn he and v other psons y^t ys to wytt Jħn Walker Wyllyā Haslű Thomas ffleccher Perys Holt ƿ Rog’ Leyu’ testefyed this mat’ for thrwe affor me lord the Justys of Lanchast^r.

Quotations

• 1502 James Raine and John William Clay, Testamenta Eboracensia: Illustrative of the History, Manners, Language, Statistics, Etc. Vol. IV (1869, J. B. Nichols, York, England), page 126:

  if it please Gode, my body to be buryed in Seynt Trinite kyrke in Hull, affor the Sacrament, of the north syd of the yle

References

• 1994, Andrew E. Benjamin and Peter Osborne, Walter Benjamin's Philosophy: Destruction and Experience, page 128, Routledge

  The Latin prefix ad-, and accordingly af-, marks the opening of an act, and of an act of opening, as in the very appropriate example of affor, meaning ‘addressing’, for example when taking leave.

Latin

Alternative forms

• adfor

Etymology

From ad- +‎ for ‎(“speak, say”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈaf.for/

Verb

affor ‎(present infinitive affārī, perfect active affātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

1. I speak to, address, accost, implore.
2. (in a passive sense) I fix the use of the auspices, I am destined.

Inflection

• In Classical Latin, affor was used only in the present indicative, but not in the first-person, the perfect active participle and the infinitive.

Derived terms

• affātus

Related terms

• for

References

• affor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “affor”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.

Scots

Alternative forms

• afor

Preposition

affor

1. before, afore
   • 1526-1534, John Hackett, as quoted in The Letters of Sir John Hackett (1971, West Virginia University Library):

     [I] know somwhat from other partyys that imagenys by som prewe conwoyanssis that is in demenyng be twyx France and Spaeyn that affor the monyth of Augost next comyng that ther salbe peace maede betwyx the Emperor and the Frenche Kyng.

   • 7 April 1565 William Chambers, Charters and Documents Relating to the Burgh of Peebles (1872, Scottish Burgh Records Society), page 299:

     The counsall ordanis the scuill master to provid ane doctur to tech the scuill, and ilk honest man that hes bairnis to gif the said doctur his meit about, and ordanis the said master to wait himself better on the bairnis nor he doid affor tyme as he will andssur to thame thairvpon.

   • 17C, William R. Boyd, Calendar of the State Papers related to Scotland and Mary, Queen of Scots 1547-1603:

     ... hagbuttares on horsbak com to this towne of Stryviling quhair all the nobilite vas assemblit, enterit vytin the towne affor any vytin knew of them.

   • 1867, Ledger of Andrew Halyburton, H. M. General Register House (Scotland), page 214:

     Item in Jun anno affor writyn, rassauit fra W. Hoper for fynans that my Lord maid wt hys fadir 500 ducatis.