Where does “prewarn” come from?
prewarn (English) comes from English warn, from Middle English warnen, from Old English warnian, from Proto-Germanic warnōną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
prewarn (English): To warn beforehand; to forewarn
Definitions
- To warn beforehand; to forewarn
Ancestry of “prewarn”, step by step
prewarn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English warn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | warn | To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially |
| 2 | Middle English | warnen | to warn; admonish |
| 3 | Old English | warnian | Alternative form of wearnian; to warn, caution,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | warnōną | to be careful; to warn |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via English pre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pre | Before; Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate; To... |
| 2 | Latin | prae | before; in front; in front of |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | prai | before; in front of |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |