Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “suboptimally” come from?

suboptimally (English) comes from English suboptimal, from English optimal, from Latin optimum, from Latin optimus, from Latin Ops, from Latin oscen, from Latin opscen, from Latin ob- — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

suboptimally (English): In a less than optimal manner

Definitions

  1. In a less than optimal manner

Ancestry of “suboptimally”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsuboptimalWorse than optimal
2EnglishoptimalThe best, most favourable or desirable,...
3Latinoptimumaccusative masculine singular of optimus;...
4Latinoptimusbest; very good
5LatinOpsearth goddess, fertility deity
6Latinoscenany bird by whose song cries augurs divined...
7Latinopscen—
8Latinob-towards; against
9Latinobolusobolus
10Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
11Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
12Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
13Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
14Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →