English

foresail

From fore- + sail.

Formed from fore- + sail

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-Germanic *seglą

Proto-West Germanic *segl

Old English seġl

Middle English saile

English sail

Today it means

noun The lowest (and usually the largest) square sail hung on the foremast

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / foresail