'prehistoric' originates from the prefix 'pre-' meaning 'before' and the word 'historic', which comes from the Greek 'historikos', meaning 'of or pertaining to history'.

'prehistoric' evolved from the French word 'préhistorique', which was first used in the 19th century to describe periods before recorded history.

Initially, it meant 'before recorded history', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.