Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “subculture” come from?

Subculture comes from English sub- plus culture, which derives from Middle French culture, Latin cultura, and Latin colo meaning to tend or cultivate, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-.

subculture (English): A portion of a culture distinguished by its...

Definitions

  1. A portion of a culture distinguished by its...

Ancestry of “subculture”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcultureThe arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and...
2Middle Frenchculturecultivation; culture
3Latincultūra—
4Latincultustilled, cultivated, having been cultivated;...
5Latincoleresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
6LatincoloI till, cultivate the land; I inhabit; I protect,...
7Latinquelo—
8Proto-Italickʷelō—
9Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “subculture”

  • subculturist
  • サブカルチャー
  • 서브컬처
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →