English word former comes from French forme, Ancient Greek (to 1453) μόρφα, Ancient Greek (to 1453) μόρφη, Ancient Greek (to 1453) μορφή, Proto-Germanic *furistaz (First, foremost.), Proto-Germanic *fr-, Proto-Germanic *fer-, Proto-Germanic *-umô (Forms comparative or superlative adjectives.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| forme | French (fra) | Form. Shape (geometrical representation). Shape (physical appearance). |
| μόρφα | Ancient Greek (to 1453) (grc) | |
| μόρφη | Ancient Greek (to 1453) (grc) | |
| μορφή | Ancient Greek (to 1453) (grc) | |
| *furistaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | First, foremost. |
| *fr- | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *fer- | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *-umô | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Forms comparative or superlative adjectives. |
| forma | Latin (lat) | A map. Appearance. Beauty. Shape; figure; form. |
| *frumô | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | First. |
| forme | Old French (842-ca. 1400) (fro) | |
| forma | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | First. |
| forme | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| former | English (eng) | First of aforementioned two items. Used with the, often without a noun.. Previous. |