forby

Meaning

Adj

Uncommon; out of the ordinary; extraordinary; superior.

Adv

1. Past; by; beyond.
2. Uncommonly; exceptionally.

Prep

1. Beyond; past; more than; greater than; over and above; moreover.
2. Past; gone by; over.
3. Near; beside; by, close to.
4. On one side; out of the way.
5. Besides; in addition to; as well as; not to mention.
6. With the exception of; not taking into account.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fəˈbʌɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: forby

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: foarbie

Cognate with Dutch: voorbij

Cognate with Low German: vörbi

Cognate with German: vorbei

Cognate with Danish: forbi

Cognate with Swedish: förbi

In summary

From Middle English forby, forbi, of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin, equivalent to fore- + by. Compare Saterland Frisian foarbie (“beyond, past”), Dutch voorbij (“past”), Low German vörbi, German vorbei (“gone, past”), Danish forbi, Swedish förbi. More at fore, by.