prequel

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːkwəl/

• Audio

  (file)

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

• Catalan: preqüela f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 前傳, 前传 (qiánchuán)

• Esperanto: antaŭdaŭrigo
• Finnish: esiosa (fi), etko-osa
• French: préquelle (fr) f, (Canada) antépisode (fr) m, prequel (fr) m
• Galician: precuela f
• German: Prequel (de) n, Vorläufer (de) m, Vorgeschichte (de) f, Vorgänger (de) m

• Italian: prequel m
• Japanese: 前編 (ぜんぺん, zenpen)
• Macedonian: ретропродолжение n (retroprodolženie)
• Polish: prequel (pl) m
• Portuguese: prequela (pt) f, prelúdio (pt) m, prequência f
• Russian: при́квел (ru) m (príkvɛl), предысто́рия (ru) f (predystórija)
• Spanish: precuela (es) f, protosecuela (es) f

See also

• interquel
• threequel

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Polish

Etymology

From English prequel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈprʲi.kwɛl/

Noun

prequel m inan

1. (narratology) prequel

Declension

declension of prequel

	singular	plural
nominative	prequel	prequele
genitive	prequela/prequelu	prequeli
dative	prequelowi	prequelom
accusative	prequel	prequele
instrumental	prequelem	prequelami
locative	prequelu	prequelach
vocative	prequelu	prequele

Further reading

• prequel in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• prequel in Polish dictionaries at PWN