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Added 9 October 2026

forefather

/ˈfɔːˌfɑːðə/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about forefather at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An ancestor.
A cultural ancestor; one who originated an idea or tradition.

Origin

From Middle English forefader, forfader, vorvader, from Old English forefæder (“forefather”), but possibly also merged with Old Norse forfaðir. Equivalent to fore- + father. Compare Dutch voorvader (“forefather”), German Vorvater, Vorfahr (“forefather”), Danish forfader (“forefather”), Swedish förfader (“forefather”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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