* "for-": This prefix means "before" or "in front of." It's still used in modern English, as in "forewarn" and "foretell."
* "scaduw": This word means "shadow." It's related to the modern English word "shadow."
Therefore, "foreshadow" literally means "to cast a shadow before." This imagery suggests something coming before, or prefiguring, something else.
The word first appeared in the late 14th century, evolving from the earlier phrase "for-scaduwian." Its use has since transitioned from a more literal meaning of casting a shadow to its figurative meaning of hinting at future events.