Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sublime” come from?

Sublime comes from Middle French sublime, from Latin sublimus, combining Latin sub and Latin limen, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European upo.

sublime (English): To sublimate; To raise on high; To exalt; to...

Definitions

  1. To sublimate; To raise on high; To exalt; to...

Ancestry of “sublime”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsublimen—
2Middle Frenchsublimer—
3LatinsublimoI raise or elevate; I soar; dative/ablative...
4Latinsublimushigh, lofty; eminent, exalted, elevated
5Latinsub-sub-
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “sublime”

  • sublimity
  • sublimely
  • sublimer
  • sublimeness
  • sublimable
  • unsublime
  • sublimableness
  • sublimeth
  • sublimize
  • resublime
  • sublimability
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →