Foretale

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a prediction of something that will happen later, made before the events themselves occur
2. An old word for a prophecy or advance statement about what the future holds, spoken before it comes to pass
3. A rare, obsolete noun meaning a warning or forecast of coming events, usually delivered in advance of them

Etymology: "Foretale" is a plain compound: "fore-" meaning "before" or "in advance," joined to "tale," a story or account. Put together, it is a tale told ahead of time, which is exactly what a forecast of events amounts to. The same building block appears in "foretell," which combines "fore-" with "tell" in the same sense of telling something before it happens. The pairing shows how English often builds words from its own native parts rather than borrowing them. "Tale" in its older sense of a narrative or account is the older of the two meanings, and "foretale" takes that sense and points it toward the future. Its meaning comes straight from the two parts, with no later shift or surprise to report.

Synonyms: prophesy, predict, foretell, forecast