Where does “subobscure” come from?
subobscure (English) comes from English obscure, from Middle English obscure, from Old French obscur, from Latin obscūrus, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
subobscure (English): Somewhat obscure
Definitions
- Somewhat obscure
Ancestry of “subobscure”, step by step
subobscure traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English obscure
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | obscure | Dark, faint or indistinct; Hidden, out of sight... |
| 2 | Middle English | obscure | — |
| 3 | Old French | obscur | — |
| 4 | Latin | obscūrus | dark, dusky, shadowy |
| 5 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 6 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |
via English sub
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sub | A submarine; A submarine sandwich: a sandwich... |
| 2 | English | substitute | To use in place of something else, with the same... |
| 3 | Middle English | substituten | — |
| 4 | Latin | substitutus | substituted |
| 5 | Latin | substituo | I place next to, under, or instead of; I... |
| 6 | Latin | statuo | I set up, station; I establish, determine, fix; I... |
| 7 | Latin | stātus | fixed, set, having been set |
| 8 | Latin | stō | to stand |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | to stand |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |