Where does “prologue” come from?
Prologue comes from Middle English prologue, from Old French prologue, from Latin prologus, from Ancient Greek πρόλογος, combining πρό (pro-, before) and λόγος (logos, speech or word), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leǵ-.
prologue (English): A speech or section used as an introduction,...
Definitions
- A speech or section used as an introduction,...
Ancestry of “prologue”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | prologue | — |
| 2 | Old French | prologue | — |
| 3 | Latin | prōlogus | a preface to a play; a prologue |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πρόλογος | the prologue of a play; one who recites the... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πρό- | in front of; before |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πρό | before; before, in front, forth, forward; before,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pró | toward, leading to |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |