Foreword
/ˈfɔːr.wɜːrd/noun
An introductory note placed at the beginning of a book, usually written by someone other than the author.
Did you know?Foreword is a transparent English compound of fore + word, and it was coined in the 19th century to name the opening text that stands before the main body of a book.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
fore
“before; in front of; earlier than”
Old English
OE
word
“a spoken word; speech; a message”
Middle English
ME
foreworde
“an introductory statement placed before a text”
19th Century
English
foreword
“an introductory note at the beginning of a book”
Modern English
English
foreword
“an opening statement or introduction to a book”