Meaning

noun an earlier section of a written text

adjective appearing earlier in the same text

adverb at an earlier place

originEtymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *-anē Proto-Germanic *ubanē Proto-West Germanic *obanā Proto-West Germanic *biobanā Old English bufan Old English abūfan Middle English aboven English above From…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0