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erstwhile (adverb, adjective):

adverb
: in the past : formerly

adjective
: former, previous

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : The adverb erstwhile has been part of English since at least the 16th century, but it is formed from two words that are much older. It comes from the Old English words aer, meaning “early,” and hwil, which has the same meaning as the modern word while. (The English word ere, meaning “before,” is also a descendant of aer.) These days erstwhile is more likely to be encountered as an adjective, as in “erstwhile enemies.” That adjective use is a much more recent development, having joined the language about three centuries after the adverb.

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David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...