Where does “prelude” come from?
Prelude comes from Middle French prélude, from Medieval Latin preludium, from Latin praeludere, meaning to play beforehand.
prelude (English): An introductory or preliminary performance or...
Definitions
- An introductory or preliminary performance or...
Ancestry of “prelude”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | prélude | singing to test a musical instrument |
| 2 | Latin | praeludium | A prologue, prelude |
| 3 | Latin | praeludo | I play beforehand; I preface |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “prelude”