Preluding
/ˈpriː.luː.dɪŋ/noun
Present participle of prelude, meaning to serve as an introduction or preliminary to something.
Did you know?Its ancestor, French prélude, came from Latin praeludere—“to play beforehand” or “to practice as a game,” showing how music and ritual both grew from the idea of an opening performance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“to play, sport, or practice”
Latin
Latin
praeludere
“to play beforehand; to rehearse; to preface with play”
Late Latin
Latin
praeludium
“a prelude; an introductory performance”
Old French
Old French
prelude
“an introductory piece of music or performance”
Middle English
English
preluden
“to play or perform as a preface”
Modern English
English
preluding
“serving as an introduction; preceding as a prelude”