The Chinese word **史前** (shǐqián), meaning "prehistoric," is a classical modifier-head compound formed by combining the morpheme **史** (shǐ), meaning "history" or "historical record," with **前** (qián), meaning "before" or "prior to." In this structure, **史** acts as the semantic core being modified, while **前** specifies its temporal location, literally creating the meaning "before history" or "prior to recorded history." This logical and transparent formation is typical of Chinese word-creation, where two meaningful characters are joined to express a new, precise concept, in this case defining the epoch preceding written historical accounts.