pre-historic
|pre-his-tor-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌpriːhɪˈstɔːrɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk/
(prehistoric)
before recorded history
Etymology
'pre-historic' originates from the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae') meaning 'before', combined with 'historic' ultimately from Greek 'historia' (via Latin 'historicus') meaning 'inquiry' or 'account' (hence 'history').
'pre-historic' was formed by joining the prefix 'pre-' and the adjective 'historic' in modern English usage (19th century usage of 'prehistoric' and hyphenated forms). Over time the hyphenated form 'pre-historic' and the closed form 'prehistoric' have both been used, with the unhyphenated 'prehistoric' becoming the standard modern spelling.
Initially it meant 'before recorded history' (literally 'before history'); while this core meaning has remained, the term has also come to be used figuratively to mean 'very old-fashioned' or 'primitive'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to the period of time before written records or recorded history.
Many pre-historic tools have been found at the site.
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Adjective 2
very old-fashioned, primitive, or out-of-date (used figuratively).
His ideas about education are positively pre-historic.
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Last updated: 2025/10/03 05:32