ere
adverbprepositionconjunctionnouncontractionattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɛə//
- United Kingdom//ɛː//
- United States//ɛɚ//
- Australia//eː//
- New Zealand//eə//
- //ɪə(ɹ)//
A contraction of is, there, and the indefinite article. Mainly used in questions.
adverb
- 1
obsoleteAt an earlier time.
Thys is he of whome I ſpake / he that cõmeth after me / was befoꝛe me be cauſe he was yer thẽ I.
Etymology
From Middle English er, from Old English ǣr (adverb, conjunction, and preposition), from Proto-West Germanic *airi, from Proto-Germanic *airiz, comparative of Proto-Germanic *airi (“early”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éyeri (“day, morning”) (compare Avestan 𐬀𐬫𐬀𐬭 (ayar, “day”), Gk. ἠέριος (ēérios, “at daybreak”), see also era, Albanian herët (“early in the morning, at daybreak”) ). The adverb erstwhile retains the Old English superlative ǣrest (“earliest”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian eer (“before”), Dutch eer (“before, sooner than”), German ehe (“before”).
preposition
- 1
archaicBefore; sooner than.
My ſelfe was ſtirring ere the breake of day, […]
The hill-tops rejoicing will ere long be at their ruddiest, and blush Good-night.
conjunction
- 1
archaicbefore.
Syꝛ, come downe ere my child die.
noun
- 1
Variant of earobsoleteObsolete form of ear.
As plesaunt to the ere as the blacke sanctus Of a sad sorte vpon a mery pyn.
contraction
- 1
informalA contraction of is, there, and the indefinite article. Mainly used in questions.
'Ere bit o' bacon in it, Kathleen?
Etymology
Formed from is + there + a/an.
Forms
- plural
- eres
ere · A contraction of is, there, and the indefinite article. Mainly used in questions.
Ere · A language spoken on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.erect · Upright; vertical or reaching broadly upwards.erection · The act of building or putting up or together of something.