PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

متقدّم ‘precede’

Arabic. – Grammar: adj.

References: PH Morelon: I.13:3, 47:13
Translation of:
Greek: προηγέομαι [PH Heiberg: I.2:5, 72:28; I.13:3, 98:17]
Modern translations:
French: (celui) qui précède [PH Morelon: I.13:3, 46:16]
German: der vor (ihm) liegt [PH Nix: I.13:3, 99:21-22]
Synonyms:
أقدم[PH Morelon: I.2:5, 19:1]