Where does “suboptimal” come from?
Suboptimal derives from English optimal, from Latin optimus (superlative of bonus, meaning "good"), from Proto-Indo-European upo ("under") and h₃ep- ("to seize" or "fit"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dew- ("to suit" or "be fitting").
suboptimal (English): Worse than optimal
Definitions
- Worse than optimal
Ancestry of “suboptimal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | optimal | The best, most favourable or desirable,... |
| 2 | Latin | optimum | accusative masculine singular of optimus;... |
| 3 | Latin | optimus | best; very good |
| 4 | Latin | Ops | earth goddess, fertility deity |
| 5 | Latin | oscen | any bird by whose song cries augurs divined... |
| 6 | Latin | opscen | — |
| 7 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 8 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |