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# early

adjective (early, earlier, earliest); adverb (early, earlier, earliest)

«early» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Before the usual or expected time: «The bus came early». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#m1)
2. Near the beginning of a day, a period or an event: early morning, early in the year. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#m2)
3. Happening long ago or first: early humans, early cars. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life: get up early, early to bed; arrive early for school; in safety, leave early so you don't rush across roads. In history: early people, early inventions. In maths and time problems: «earlier» means before; «5 minutes early» means 5 minutes before the set time. Phrases: early bird, early morning, early on, early night, the early bird catches the worm, earlier than, at the earliest.

### Examples

- I got up early to watch the sunrise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x1)
- The train arrived ten minutes early. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x2)
- We had an early night before the trip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x3)
- The early bird catches the worm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x4)
- Early people made tools from stone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x5)
- Spring flowers bloom early in the year. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x6)
- Come earlier next time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x7)
- If school starts at 8:45 and you arrive at 8:30, you are 15 minutes early. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x8)
- ‘Whither away so early, Little Red-Cap?’ [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/#x9)

### Note

Comparisons: earlier, earliest (y → i). Opposite: late. Say «ER-lee». In maths: «early» means before the set time, so subtract: 9:00 − 10 minutes early = 8:50.

## In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: The rabbis note that righteous people such as Abraham rose early, and take it as a sign of eagerness to do God's commands. In the primary lessons: In everyday life: get up early, early to bed; arrive early for school; in safety, leave early so you don't rush across roads. In history: early people, early inventions. In maths and time problems: «earlier» means before; «5 minutes early» means 5 minutes before the set time. Phrases: early bird, early morning, early on, early night, the early bird catches the worm, earlier than, at the earliest.

### Examples

- And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. (Torah GEN.19.27, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/#x1)
- And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. (Torah GEN.31.55, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/#x2)
- And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears; and the men were sore afraid. (Torah GEN.20.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/#x3)
- I rose early at dawn, and cried; I hoped in Thy word. (Writings PSA.119.147, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/#x4)
- And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. (Prophets JOS.6.12, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/#x5)
- Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. (Writings DAN.6.20, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/#x6)

### Note

Comparisons: earlier, earliest (y → i). Opposite: late. Say «ER-lee». In maths: «early» means before the set time, so subtract: 9:00 − 10 minutes early = 8:50.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «early» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/early/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«early» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/early.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «early» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/early/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«early» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/early.html) on Mova free.