Where does “preface” come from?
preface (Middle English) comes from Old French preface, from Medieval Latin prefatia, from Latin praefātiō, from Latin praefor, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “preface”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | preface | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | prefatia | — |
| 3 | Latin | praefātiō | preface, prologue |
| 4 | Latin | praefor | I say, utter, mention beforehand or in advance; I... |
| 5 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |