Where does “subdominant” come from?

Subdominant comes from English sub- combined with dominant, which derives from Latin dominans, itself from Latin domināri meaning "to rule," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.

subdominant (English): The fourth tone of a scale; The triad built on...

Definitions

  1. The fourth tone of a scale; The triad built on...

Ancestry of “subdominant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishsub-under, beneath; subsidiary, secondary; almost,...
2Latinsub-under, sub
3Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “subdominant”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European upó →Every word from Latin sub- →