Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “abject” come from?

Abject comes from Middle English abjecten, from Latin abiectus, the past participle of abicio meaning to throw away, composed of ab meaning away and iacere meaning to throw.

abject (English): Sunk to or existing in a low condition, state, or...

Definitions

  1. Sunk to or existing in a low condition, state, or...

Ancestry of “abject”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishabjecten—
2Middle Englishabiectoutcast, wretched
3Latinabiectusthrown or cast aside, down or away, having been...
4Latinabiciō—
5Latinab-from, away, away from; off; at a distance
6Latināb—
7Proto-Germanic*ab—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanapó—

Words derived from “abject”

  • abjectness
  • abjective
  • unabject
Every word from Proto-Indo-European apó →