preform en · NOUN · etymology 1
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae-lbor. Middle English pre- English pre- English form English preform From pre- + form.
Meanings
- An object that has undergone preliminary shaping but is not yet in its final form.
- The rough, incomplete and unused basic form of a stone tool.
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A word that is no longer in use, but has been reconstructed from current ones.
Trask notes that Bq. gorosti could have had *goloztri as a pre-form, in which case the presence of -r- in the Sardinian forms might be original.
2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 130:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pre-form | alternative | lexicographic | |
| preforms | Number=Plur | lexicographic |