Where does “preface” come from?
Preface comes from Middle English prefas, from Old French preface, from Latin prefatia, from Latin praefatio meaning "something said beforehand," derived from prae meaning "before" and fari meaning "to speak."
preface (English): The beginning or introductory portion that comes...
Definitions
- The beginning or introductory portion that comes...
Ancestry of “preface”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | prefas | — |
| 2 | Old French | preface | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | prefatia | — |
| 4 | Latin | praefātiō | — |
| 5 | Latin | praefor | I say, utter, mention beforehand or in advance; I... |
| 6 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “preface”