foresee

the word 'foresee' is a native english compound, formed from two old english elements. the prefix 'fore-' derives from proto-germanic fura- and ultimately from the proto-indo-european root per- (meaning 'forward, through, in front of'), which gives it the sense of 'beforehand'. the verb 'see' comes from old english 'sēon', from proto-germanic sehwaną, tracing back to the pie root sekʷ- ('to see, to follow'). the literal combination, 'to see before', perfectly captures the abstract modern meaning of anticipating or knowing about an event before it occurs. this transparent compounding is a classic feature of the germanic stratum of english vocabulary.

Structure: fore (before) + see (perceive) fore: old english; a prefix meaning 'before in time, place, or order'. see: old english; a verb meaning 'to perceive with the eyes, to understand'.