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
- Sunk to or existing in a low condition, state, or...
Ancestry of “abject”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | abjecten | — |
| 2 | Middle English | abiect | outcast, wretched |
| 3 | Latin | abiectus | thrown or cast aside, down or away, having been... |
| 4 | Latin | abiciō | to throw or hurl down or away, cast or push away or aside |
| 5 | Latin | ab- | from, away, away from; off; at a distance |
| 6 | Latin | āb | from, away from, out of |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *ab | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | apó | — |