prolegomenon

English

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek neuter noun: προλεγόμενον (prolegómenon, “that which is said beforehand,”) [plural: προλεγόμενα (prolegómena), from the verb: προλέγω (prolégō, “I say before[hand]”)] referring to an introduction.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌpɹəʊlɪˈɡɒmɪnɒn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌpɹoʊlɪˈɡɑmənɑn/

Noun

prolegomenon (plural prolegomena)

1. (usually in the plural) A prefatory discussion; a formal essay or critical discussion serving to introduce and interpret an extended work.
   • 1990 April 28, Patricia Roth Schwartz, “The Odd Couple”, in Gay Community News, page 7:

     Frye here is not rewriting myth as some assume. Her prolegomenon is intended to be read as fiction not autobiography.

Derived terms

• prolegomenary
• prolegomenous

Translations

prefatory discussion

• Arabic: مُقَدِّمَة f (muqaddima)
• Bulgarian: уводни бележки f pl (uvodni beležki)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 緒論 / 绪论 (zh) (xùlùn), 前言 (zh) (qiányán)

• Finnish: johdanto (fi), johdatus (fi)
• French: prolégomènes (fr)
• German: Prolegomenon n
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: пролего́мен (ru) m (prolegómen)
• Welsh: prolegomenon m

See also

• protasis
• Thesaurus:foreword