Dictionary

prehuman en · ADJ

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- Latin hūmānusbor. Old French umain Middle French humainbor. Middle English humayne English human English prehuman From pre- + human.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Preceding the advent of modern humanity, Homo sapiens.
   • In the recently opened Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins, there are more than 200 casts of prehuman and human fossils and artifacts that illustrate stages in physical and behavioral evolution. 2007 March 9, The New York Times, “Spare Times”, in New York Times:

Antonyms

transhuman · posthuman

Coordinates

human

Hypernyms

nonhuman

Relateds

subhuman · infrahuman · inhuman · unhuman

Synonyms

antehuman

Translations (3)

de vormenschlich (Translations) · it preumano (Translations) · de prähuman (Translations)

prehuman en · NOUN

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- Latin hūmānusbor. Old French umain Middle French humainbor. Middle English humayne English human English prehuman From pre- + human.

Meanings

1. One of the human-like creatures that existed before Homo sapiens.
   • They said the find also added to evidence that painted a picture of Homo erectus as the prehumans who took long evolutionary strides — figuratively and, now it seems, also literally. 2009 February 27, John Noble Wilford, “Prints Show a Modern Foot in Prehumans”, in New York Times:

Forms

Antonyms

posthuman · transhuman

Coordinates

human

Hypernyms

nonhuman

Relateds

subhuman · infrahuman