Forewarnings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Hints or indications that signify events or dangers that may occur in the future
2. Early signs or messages that prepare individuals for potential risks or unfortunate events ahead
3. Notifications given in advance to alert people about possible upcoming threats or situations

Etymology: "Forewarnings" is simply the plural of "forewarning," so its history is that of the singular noun. The noun comes from Middle English "forwarning," which was built in one of two ways: either from the verb "forewarn" plus the suffix "-ing," or from the prefix "fore-" (meaning "before") attached to "warning." Both routes lead to the same sense, a warning given in advance of something that has yet to happen. The pairing is worth noticing because German and Swedish arrived at the same structure independently in their own languages: German "Vorwarnung" and Swedish "förvarning" both mean the same thing and share the "before-warning" construction. English "warning" itself is older than "forewarning," so the prefix was added to a word already in use, marking the warning as one that comes ahead of the event it concerns.

Synonyms: warnings, cautions, alerts, advisories, notices