Where does “prélude” come from?
prélude (Middle French) comes from Latin praeludium, from Latin praeludo, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
prélude (Middle French): singing to test a musical instrument
Definitions
- singing to test a musical instrument
Ancestry of “prélude”, step by step
prélude traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin praeludium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | praeludium | A prologue, prelude |
| 2 | Latin | praeludo | I play beforehand; I preface |
| 3 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Medieval Latin preludium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | preludium | — |
| 2 | Latin | praelūdere | — |
via Late Latin praeludium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | praeludium | A prologue, prelude |