preteen
UK[ˌpriːˈtiːn]US[ˌpriːˈtiːn]
adj
Relating to or characteristic of a child just before the age of thirteen.
n
A child just before the age of thirteen.
Morpheme Breakdown
pre
teen
pre
before
teen
teenager
Etymology
The word "preteen" is a modern English compound, formed in the mid-20th century. It logically combines the Latin-derived prefix "pre-", meaning "before", with the clipped form "teen", extracted from "teenager". The term "teenager" itself is built on the Old English suffix "-teen", denoting the numbers from thirteen to nineteen. Thus, "preteen" transparently constructs its meaning as "before the teenage years", specifically designating the developmental stage immediately preceding adolescence, typically ages 9 to 12. This formation reflects a societal need to categorize a distinct phase of childhood influenced by, but not yet within, teen culture.
Analysis
Structure: pre (before) + teen (teenager)
- pre: A prefix of Latin origin (from Latin prae- meaning "before"). It functions as a locative prefix indicating precedence in time or position.
- teen: A clipping of the English word "teenager". It originates from the English suffix "-teen" (as in thirteen, fourteen), which itself comes from Old English -tīene, -tēne, a form of "ten". In this compound, it functions as the core noun, referring to the age group.
Examples
She writes books aimed at a preteen audience.
The store has a special clothing section for preteens.
His preteen years were marked by a growing interest in science.