Where does “understatement” come from?
understatement (Dutch) comes from English understatement, from English statement, from English State, from Middle English stat, from Old French estat, from Latin stātus, from Latin stō, from Proto-Italic staēō.
understatement (Dutch): understatement
Ancestry of “understatement”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | understatement | An incomplete statement, "particularly" |
| 2 | English | statement | A declaration or remark; A presentation of... |
| 3 | English | State | A current governing polity; The current governing... |
| 4 | Middle English | stat | — |
| 5 | Old French | estat | state; government; condition |
| 6 | Latin | stātus | — |
| 7 | Latin | stō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |