'pre-negotiation' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae', meaning 'before') and 'negotiation' (from Latin 'negotiatio', from 'negotium', meaning 'business' or 'activity').

'negotiation' changed from Latin 'negotiatio' (from 'negotium') into Old French and then Middle English forms such as 'negotiacioun', eventually becoming the modern English word 'negotiation'. The compound 'pre-negotiation' is a later English formation combining 'pre-' + 'negotiation'.

Originally 'negotium' meant 'business' or 'activity (not leisure)'; over time 'negotiation' narrowed to mean 'discussion aimed at reaching an agreement', and 'pre-negotiation' now denotes the preliminary discussions that occur before formal negotiation.