Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Preface” come from?

Preface (English) comes from Middle English preface, from Old French preface, from Medieval Latin prefatia, from Latin praefātiō, from Latin praefor, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- — passed , crossed.

Preface (English): The part of the liturgy that precedes the main...

Definitions

  1. The part of the liturgy that precedes the main...

Ancestry of “Preface”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpreface—
2Old Frenchpreface—
3Medieval Latinprefatia—
4Latinpraefātiō—
5LatinpraeforI say, utter, mention beforehand or in advance; I...
6Latinprae-before; in front; in charge
7Proto-Italicprai-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →