Where does “sublimity” come from?
Sublimity derives from Middle French sublimité, from Latin sublīmitās (quality of being sublime), ultimately from Latin sub and limen (threshold or lintel).
sublimity (English): The state of being sublime; Something sublime
Definitions
- The state of being sublime; Something sublime
Ancestry of “sublimity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sublimite | — |
| 2 | Latin | sublimitas | height, loftiness; sublimity |
| 3 | Latin | sublimus | high, lofty; eminent, exalted, elevated |
| 4 | Latin | sub- | sub- |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |