Where does “suboptimum” come from?

suboptimum (English) comes from English optimum, from Latin optimus, from Latin Ops, from Latin oscen, from Latin opscen, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

suboptimum (English): suboptimal

Definitions

  1. suboptimal

Ancestry of “suboptimum”, step by step

suboptimum traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English optimum

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoptimumThe best or most favorable condition, or the...
2Latinoptimusbest; very good
3LatinOpsearth goddess, fertility deity
4Latinoscenany bird by whose song cries augurs divined...
5Latinopscen
6Latinob-towards; against
7Latinobolusobolus (Greek coin)
8Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
9Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
10Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

via English sub

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsubA submarine; A submarine sandwich: a sandwich...
2EnglishsubstituteTo use in place of something else, with the same...
3Middle Englishsubstituten
4Latinsubstitutussubstituted
5LatinsubstituoI place next to, under, or instead of; I...
6LatinstatuoI set up, station; I establish, determine, fix; I...
7Latinstātusfixed, set, having been set
8Latinstōto stand
9Proto-Italicstaēōstand
10Proto-Indo-Europeansth₂éh₁yetito stand
11Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH-