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protohistory

[ proh-toh-his-tuh-ree, -his-tree ]
/ ˌproʊ toʊˈhɪs tə ri, -ˈhɪs tri /
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See synonyms for protohistory on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural pro·to·his·to·ries.
a branch of study concerned with the transition period between prehistory and the earliest recorded history.
the period in a culture immediately before its recorded history begins.
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Origin of protohistory

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-/, nounpro·to·his·tor·ic [proh-toh-hi-stawr-ik, -stor-], /ˌproʊ toʊ hɪˈstɔr ɪk, -ˈstɒr-/, pro·to·his·tor·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby protohistory

Protogenia, protogenic, Protogeometric, Proto-Germanic, protogynous, protohistory, protohuman, Proto-Indo-European, proto-Ionic, protolanguage, protolithic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to protohistory

antiquity, prehistory, time immemorial

British Dictionary definitions for protohistory

protohistory
/ (ˌprəʊtəʊˈhɪstərɪ, -ˈhɪstrɪ) /
noun
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
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