In the past; at a time before the present; formerly.
From Old English 'afore' (before) + 'time'. Used from Middle English onward as an archaic way to reference the past, similar to how we might say 'back in the day' or 'once upon a time.'
This is one of those words that proves English has been obsessed with talking about 'the good old days' for nearly a thousand years—it shows that nostalgia isn't modern, just the vocabulary changes.
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