Ere

Chamber's Twientieth Century Dictionary · 1908 · p. 36

ār, adv. before, sooner.— prep. before.— conj. sooner than.— advs. Erelong′ , before long: soon; Erenow′ , before this time; Erewhile′ , formerly: some time before. [A.S. ǽr ; cf. Dut. eer .]