korábbihoz

Korábbihoz is a Hungarian word formed by the adjective korábbi ("earlier", "previous") and the allative/directional suffix -hoz (variant -hez, -höz), yielding a meaning along the lines of "to the earlier one" or "compared to the previous". It is not a standalone lexical head in most uses but a morphological construction that marks relation or direction toward something earlier in time or sequence.

Morphology and grammar: korábbi is the comparative or temporal adjective derived from korábban/korai, and the suffix -hoz indicates movement toward or a reference point. Vowel harmony determines the suffix variant (hoz/hez/höz). The construction appears in contexts that contrast the present or another state with an earlier one, often in phrases such as korábbihoz képest ("compared with the previous/earlier one") or visszatértem a korábbihoz ("I returned to the earlier one").

Usage and nuance: korábbihoz emphasizes temporal precedence or prior status; it is largely neutral in register and common in both spoken and written Hungarian. It overlaps in meaning with előzőhöz ("to the previous one"), though korábbi can suggest a less specific or more general earlier state, whereas előző typically denotes the immediately preceding item. Related forms include korábban (adverb, "previously") and korábbiak ("the earlier ones").