fornenst

or for·nent

[ fer-nenst ]

preposition

, Midland U.S. and British Dialect.

1. next to; near to:

   They walked fornenst one another down the sidewalk.

2. against; facing; opposite.

fornenst

/ fɔːˈnɛnst /

preposition

1. dialect.
   situated against or facing towards

Word History and Origins

Origin of fornenst¹

from Scottish, from fore ¹+ anenst a variant of archaic anent

Example Sentences

“It’s now you call me loud enough,” siz I, “ye wouldn’t shout that way when ye saw me rowlin’ like a tub in a mill-race the other day fornenst your faces.”

From Project Gutenberg

Ye never heared the like, nor what’s more, Andy Wilson’s mare, she never heared the like, and she just made the wan lep and landed in the strame fornenst William; then James he tuk a howlt o’ William, and ‘Bap yersel’, says he; and with that he coped him off his gran’ white horse, and he drooked him in the watter.

From Project Gutenberg

With that he joined to go forrard, and James he should have come forrard fornenst him, but 241 Andy’s mare, she just planted the fore-feet o’ her and stud there the same as she was growed in the ground.

From Project Gutenberg

“Sorra betther bottle ov wine’s betuxt this and Salamancha, nor’s there fornenst you on the table; it’s raal Lachrymalchrystal, every spudh ov it.”

From Project Gutenberg

Howandiver, I mustn’t forget that we left his Riv’rence and his Holiness sitting fornenst one another in the parlor ov the Vatican, jist afther mixing their second tumbler.

From Project Gutenberg