Where does “foresee” come from?
Foresee derives from Old English foresēon, a compound of fore- and sēon meaning to see beforehand.
foresee (English): To be able to see beforehand: to anticipate;...
Definitions
- To be able to see beforehand: to anticipate;...
Ancestry of “foresee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | foreseen | — |
| 2 | Old English | foresēon | to see beforehand; foresee, provide |
| 3 | Old English | fore | before; forepart, front |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | furai | before, in front of; before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |