'pre-revolution' is formed from the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae', meaning 'before') and 'revolution' (from Latin 'revolutio').

'revolution' originates from Latin 'revolutio' (a turning back), passed into Old French as 'revolution' and then into Middle English; the modern compound 'pre-revolution' is a straightforward combination of the prefix 'pre-' with the noun 'revolution'.

Originally 'revolutio' meant 'a turning back' or 'a return'; over time 'revolution' shifted to mean a major change, especially in political power, and 'pre-revolution' therefore came to mean 'before that major change.'