Ere is an archaic English word meaning "previous to" or "before". The Old English word ær became er in Middle English, and thence ere in early modern English. It is commonly used by Shakespeare, but in recent times readers of fantasy works such as The Lord of the Rings often run across the word. J.R.R. Tolkien, a professional linguist, was quite adept at having characters in his books use outmoded speech to evoke a realistically exotic atmosphere as the Hobbits journeyed far from The Shire. Some common palindromes such as "Able was I ere I saw Elba" also rely on the word.