An archaic or dialectal word meaning 'before' or 'ever,' used in old English texts and poetry.
From Old English 'aer' or 'ær' meaning 'before,' related to German 'ehe' (before). It appears frequently in Middle English literature but fell out of use by the modern period.
You'll find 'eer' in Shakespeare and Chaucer—it's one reason old English poems are hard to read today, since this common word has completely vanished from modern speech!
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