prequel

§English

§Etymology

Patterned after sequel using pre- (“before”).

§Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːkwəl/

§Noun

prequel (plural prequels)

1. (narratology) In a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor, especially the original narrative or (perhaps improper usage) any narrative work with at least one sequel.
   • 1980, Patrick Robertson, Movie Facts and Feats: A Guinness Record Book, New York: Sterling Publishing, p. 43:

     'Prequels' are sequels that relate the story that preceded the original film.

   • 2008, 26 February, Andrew Pierce, "JRR Tolkien's estate to sue Lord of the Rings filmmakers New Line Cinema over profits, in The Daily Telegraph

     They are also threatening to block the production of the long-awaited prequel, The Hobbit, which may now be cancelled.

§Usage notes

Most often used, not as a direct antonym of sequel, to refer to earlier works in a series, but to refer to works that are chronologically before but are created and released after; an archetypal example is the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

§Antonyms

• sequel

§Coordinate terms

• midquel

§Related terms

• midquel
• sequel

§Translations

in a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 前傳, 前传 (qiánchuán)

• Finnish: esiosa, etko-osa
• French: préquelle (fr) f, (Canada) antépisode (fr) m, prequel (fr) m
• German: Prequel n

• Japanese: 前編 (ぜんぺん, zenpen)
• Macedonian: ретропродолжение n (retroprodolžénie)
• Russian: приквел m (príkvɛl), предыстория (ru) f (predystórija)
• Spanish: precuela (es), protosecuela (es), retrohistoria