Where does “subcritical” come from?
Subcritical derives from English critical, formed with the prefix sub- and the adjective critical, which comes from English aldehyde via the suffix -al, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European krey- meaning to sift or separate.
subcritical (English): Of less than critical importance; Having a...
Definitions
- Of less than critical importance; Having a...
Ancestry of “subcritical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | critical | Inclined to find fault or criticize; Pertaining... |
| 2 | English | -ál | Of or pertaining to. Adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to produce an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also |
| 3 | English | aldehyde | Any of a large class of reactive organic... |
| 4 | German | Aldehyd | aldehyde |
| 5 | Latin | alcohol | kohl, collyrium, stibium; any other powder... |
| 6 | Andalusian Arabic | كُحُول | — |
| 7 | Arabic | كحل | antimony; kohl, stibnite; black coloring of the... |
| 8 | Arabic | كُحْل | antimony; kohl, stibnite |
| 9 | Akkadian | guḫlum | kohl, antimony paste |