A prodromus ('forerunner' or 'precursor') aka prodrome is a term used in the natural sciences to describe a preliminary publication intended as the basis for a later, more comprehensive work. It is also a medical term used for a premonitory symptom, that is, a symptom indicating the onset of a disease. The origin of the word is from the 19th century: via French from New Latin prodromus, from Greek prodromos forerunner.

Nicolas Steno Niels Steensen ( da, Niels Steensen; Latinized to ''Nicolaus Steno'' or ''Nicolaus Stenonius''; 1 January 1638 – 25 November 1686Ludovico Marracci Ludovico Marracci (6 October 1612 – 5 February 1700), also known by Luigi Marracci, was an Italian Oriental scholar and professor of Arabic in the College of Wisdom at Rome. He is chiefly known as the publisher and editor of Quran of Muhammad ...

's Arabic edition and Latin translation of the

Qur’an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...

was published in 1698. His ‘Introduction’ (''Prodromus'') had been published seven years earlier.Alastair Hamilton, ''After Marracci: The Reception of Ludovico Marracci’s Edition of The Qur’an in Northern Europe from the Late 17thC to the Early 19thC'',

The Warburg Institute The Warburg Institute is a research institution associated with the University of London in central London, England. A member of the School of Advanced Study, its focus is the study of cultural history and the role of images in culture – cros ...

Other notable prodromi include ''

Prodromus Entomology ''Prodromus Entomology'' is one of the earliest books about Australian natural history, and the first book about Australia containing plates engraved in Australia. The full title of the first edition is ''Prodromus Entomology. Natural History o ...

'', '' Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'', '' Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis''.

References

Academic publishing Natural sciences Medical terminology {{sci-stub