Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “inferior” come from?

Inferior comes from Latin inferior, the comparative form of inferus meaning "low" or "below," derived from Proto-Indo-European n̥dʰér.

inferior (English): of lower quality; of lower rank; located below

Definitions

  1. of lower quality; of lower rank; located below

Ancestry of “inferior”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinīnferior—
2Latinīnferus—
3Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér—

Words derived from “inferior”

  • inferiorly
  • inferiour
  • anteroinferior
  • posteroinferior
  • superoinferior
  • noninferior
  • posteroinferiorly
  • superoinferiorly
  • inferiourly
  • inferiorness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér →