protohistory

[ proh-toh-his-tuh-ree, -his-tree ]
See synonyms for protohistory on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural pro·to·his·to·ries.
  1. a branch of study concerned with the transition period between prehistory and the earliest recorded history.

  2. the period in a culture immediately before its recorded history begins.

Origin of protohistory

1
First recorded in 1915–20; proto- + history

Other words from protohistory

  • pro·to·his·to·ri·an [proh-toh-hi-stawr-ee-uhn, -stohr-], /ˌproʊ toʊ hɪˈstɔr i ən, -ˈstoʊr-/, noun
  • pro·to·his·tor·ic [proh-toh-hi-stawr-ik, -stor-], /ˌproʊ toʊ hɪˈstɔr ɪk, -ˈstɒr-/, pro·to·his·tor·i·cal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for protohistory

protohistory

/ (ˌprəʊtəʊˈhɪstərɪ, -ˈhɪstrɪ) /


noun
  1. the period or stage of human development or of a particular culture immediately prior to the emergence of writing

Derived forms of protohistory

  • protohistoric (ˌprəʊtəʊhɪˈstɒrɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012