English

former

/ˈfɔɹmɚ/
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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    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.

    Etymology 2

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

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishformer
      • inheritedOld Englishforma “first”
        • inheritedProto-Germanic*frumô
    • inheritedMiddle Englishformere
    • surface analysisEnglishform “The shape or visible structure of a thing or person.”
    • surface analysisEnglish-er “A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun.”

    Sources