korábbiak

Korábbiak is a Hungarian term that functions as the plural of the adjective korábbi, meaning former or previous. In practice, korábbiak can be used as an adjective or as a substantive referring to a group of items, persons, or statements that were mentioned earlier in a text. The form korábbiak is commonly found in formal writing, journalism, and summaries where a concise reference to past elements is needed.

Etymology and form. The word derives from korábbi, itself built from kor meaning time or era, with a comparative-like suffix that expresses temporal precedence. The plural suffix -ak marks korábbiak as a definite noun phrase referring to multiple former items or people. As a substantive, korábbiak may take typical plural endings in extended sentences, or appear in phrases such as korábbiak szerint (“according to the former ones”) or korábbiakhoz képest (“in comparison with the former ones”).

Usage and nuance. Korábbiak emphasizes earlier in time, often in contrast with the present or with newly introduced elements. It can replace repeating nouns to avoid redundancy, for example in discussions about versions, years, statements, or decisions. It differs from előzőek, which also means previous or preceding but can carry a more immediate or sequential sense in some contexts.

Examples. A korábbiak szerint a projekt költségvetését felülvizsgálják. A korábbiak sokat tanítottak bennünket ennek a megközelítésnek a megértésében. A korábbiakhoz képest az új terv hatékonyabb eredményeket ígér.

See also: előző, kor, idő, előzmények.