Where does “subcontinent” come from?
Subcontinent derives from English sub- combined with continent, from Latin sub meaning "under" and continere meaning "to hold together," ultimately from Latin com meaning "with."
subcontinent (English): A large landmass which is either smaller than a...
Definitions
- A large landmass which is either smaller than a...
Ancestry of “subcontinent”, step by step
subcontinent traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French sous-continent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | sous-continent | subcontinent |
| 2 | French | continent | continent |
| 3 | Latin | continēns | limiting, enclosing |
| 4 | Latin | contineo | I hold or keep together/close, surround, contain;... |
| 5 | Latin | cōn- | Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects |
| 6 | Latin | cum | with, along with; at; -fold |
| 7 | Old Latin | com | Alternative form of cum |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kom | with, along, at |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 11 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 12 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 13 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 14 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 15 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 17 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |
via English sub
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sub | A submarine; A submarine sandwich: a sandwich... |
| 2 | English | substitute | To use in place of something else, with the same... |
| 3 | Middle English | substituten | — |
| 4 | Latin | substitutus | substituted |
| 5 | Latin | substituo | I place next to, under, or instead of; I... |
| 6 | Latin | statuo | I set up, station; I establish, determine, fix; I... |
| 7 | Latin | stātus | fixed, set, having been set |
| 8 | Latin | stō | to stand |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | to stand |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |
via English continent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | continent | Each of the main continuous land-masses on the... |