English
forecaution
From fore- + caution.
Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, formerly’
Proto-Germanic *fura- ‘before, in front of, for’
Proto-West Germanic *forē- ‘before, in front of, fore-, pre-’
English fore-
Latin cavēre ‘be on one's guard’
Latin cautus ‘cautious, careful’
Latin cautiō ‘precaution, caution’
Old French caution ‘security, surety’
Middle English caucioun ‘bail, guarantee, pledge’
English caution
first attested First attested in 1662 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1662.
Today it means
noun Caution in advance; precaution.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / forecaution