Aforesay

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To state or mention something in advance of a later point in time or in a text
2. To say or declare something ahead of time, before discussing it further
3. To express or utter something in anticipation, prior to elaboration

Etymology: "Afore" comes from Old English "onforan," meaning "in front of" or "before," and "say" comes from Old English "secgan." Put together, "aforesay" means to say something beforehand, or to state something earlier in the same text or speech. The compound is transparent, so there is little mystery about how it formed. It is a rare word, and its use is mostly limited to older English and legal or formal writing, where a writer refers back to something already stated. Its most common appearance is in the past participle "aforesaid," which lives on in contracts and statutes to point back to a previously named person, place, or thing.