English
forelay
From fore- + lay.
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-
Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
…
Proto-Germanic *lagjaną ‘to lay’
Proto-West Germanic *laggjan ‘to lay’
Old English leċġan ‘to lay’
Middle English leyen ‘to lay’
English lay
Today it means
verb To lay down beforehand
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / forelay