English word origin

Etymology of erer

From Middle English eror, erur, earre, arre, from Old English ǣrra (“earlier, former, preceding”), equivalent to ere + -er.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adj

Former; previous.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English eror, erur, earre, arre, from Old English ǣrra (“earlier, former, preceding”), equivalent to ere + -er.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionerorenm
Inherited-form mentionǣrraang

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "eror"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English eror"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ǣrra",
        "4": "",
        "5": "earlier, former, preceding"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ǣrra (“earlier, former, preceding”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ere",
        "3": "er",
        "id2": "comparative"
      },
      "expansion": "ere + -er"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "eror",
      "eror#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "erur",
      "erur#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "earre",
      "earre#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "arre",
      "arre#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ǣrra",
      "ærra#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ere",
      "ere#English"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#English:_comparative"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Former; previous."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adv

Before; formerly; at a former time. · Sooner; rather; liever; in preference.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English erer, ærer, from Old English ǣror (“earlier, before, beforehand, formerly; rather”), equivalent to ere + -er.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionererenm
Inherited-form mentionǣrorang

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "erer"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English erer"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ǣror",
        "4": "",
        "5": "earlier, before, beforehand, formerly; rather"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ǣror (“earlier, before, beforehand, formerly; rather”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ere",
        "3": "er",
        "id2": "comparative"
      },
      "expansion": "ere + -er"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
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    ],
    [
      "ærer",
      "ærer#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "æror#Old_English"
    ],
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      "ere",
      "ere#English"
    ],
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      "-er",
      "-er#English:_comparative"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Before; formerly; at a former time.",
        "Sooner; rather; liever; in preference."
      ],
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        "not-comparable",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for erer →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZXJlcg