ago

Etymology

From Middle English ago, agon (“passed”), past participle of agon (“to depart, escape, pass”), from Old English āgān (“to go away, pass away, go forth, come to pass”), from Proto-Germanic *uz- (“out”), *gāną (“to go”), equivalent to a- + gone. Cognate with German ergehen (“to come to pass, fare, go forth”). Compare also Old Saxon āgangan (“to go or pass by”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (usgaggan, “to go forth”).

adj

1. (archaic or dialectal) Gone; gone by; gone away; passed; passed away.
   in days ago/in days agone
2. (archaic or dialectal) Nearly gone; dead (used in Devonshire at the turn of the 19th century)
   Woe the day- she is agone!

adv

1. before
   When they first met in 2000, my dad told my mom how he had gotten the money. The story begins 20 years ago.