(1) The captain of the ship was a ci-devant peasant and was almost obsequious in his manner.

[Source: Beatrice Webb: Russian Diary. In: Passfield Papers, Estate of the Webbs, archived at the

London School of Economics; entry following "June 2nd" (1932).]

(2) ci-devant [search result via google:] from or in an earlier time; former.

"her ci-devant pupil, now her lover"

Origin French: 'heretofore'

[Source: (Google’s English dictionary is provided by Oxford Languages:) https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=...]

(3) ci-devant, adj. (and n.) ... Etymology: French, = heretofore, formerly

1. Former, 'late'; that was formerly
2. (n.) In the language of the French Revolution, a man of rank, i.e. one formerly such, the Republic having suppressed distinctions of nobility. / 1871 J. Morley. J. de Maistre in Crit. Misc. 152: Give me the lives of...three hundred thousand ci-devants and aristocrats.

[Source: Oxford English Dictionary and relevant entries there]

SUGGESTED TRANSLATIONS / ÜBERSETZUNGSVORSCHLÄGE - (*preferred / *bevorzugt)

1. ehemals (adv.)

2. ehemalige / ehemaliger / ehemaliges (Mitglied...) + n. ... (+ n. profession, rank, or title...)

3. vormalig (adj.), vormals (adv.)

Ex.: ein vormaliger Hutmacher

4. *ehedem (adv.) (geh.):

    Ex.: Der Kapitän des Schiffs, ehedem Landarbeiter, war...

[Source: Beatrice Webb, Pilgerfahrt nach Moskau. KritBrit, Passau 1998; p. 80]

5. einstmals (adv.):

Ex.: XY, einstmals Bauer, ...

6. einstig|e/r (adj.):

Ex.: ein einstiger Bauer

7. vordem (adv.)

8. früher|e|r/n (adj.) (= ehemalige):

Ex.: der frühere Eigentümer

[Source: Duden online]

9. gewesen (adj.)

Ex.: ein gewesener Leutnant...