'preissue' is a compound of the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae' meaning 'before') and the verb 'issue' (from Old French 'issu'/'issue').

'issue' comes from Old French 'issu' (past participle of 'issir', to go out), ultimately from Latin 'exire'/'exitus' (to go out). The modern English verb 'issue' developed through Middle English; the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae-') was later combined with 'issue' to form the compound 'preissue' and its derived forms (e.g., 'preissued').

Originally 'issue' carried the sense 'to go out' or 'to come forth'; over time it came to mean 'to put forth, distribute, or publish.' The compound 'preissue' later developed the specific sense 'to issue before' or 'to distribute in advance.'