pre-nup
UK[ˌpriːˈnʌp]US[ˈpriːˌnʌp]
n
A legal agreement made by a couple before they marry, setting out how their assets will be divided if they divorce.
Morpheme Breakdown
pre
nup
pre
before
nup
marriage
Etymology
The word "prenup" is a modern American English colloquial shortening of the formal term "prenuptial agreement". Its formation follows a common pattern of clipping and compounding. The first element, "pre-", is a productive Latin-derived prefix meaning "before". The second element, "nup", is a back-formation extracted from "nuptial", which traces back to the Latin verb nubere, meaning "to marry" or "to take a husband". Thus, the literal morphemic construction "before-marriage" transparently describes the timing and purpose of the contract, evolving from classical concepts of matrimony into a specific contemporary legal instrument.
Analysis
Structure: pre (before) + nup (marriage)
- pre: Latin origin, meaning "before". A prefix indicating precedence in time or position.
- nup: A clipped form from "nuptial", ultimately from Latin nuptialis (pertaining to marriage), from nuptiae (wedding), from nubere (to marry).
Examples
The couple signed a prenup to protect their individual family inheritances.
His lawyer advised him to consider a prenup before the wedding.
The existence of a prenup made the divorce proceedings much more straightforward.