Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “subpar” come from?

subpar (English) comes from English PAR, from Jamaican Creole par, from Jamaican Creole partner, from English partner, from Middle English partener, from English parcener, from Old French parçonier, from Old French parçon — passed , crossed.

subpar (English): Of less than a traditional or accepted standard;...

Definitions

  1. Of less than a traditional or accepted standard;...

Ancestry of “subpar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPARInitialism of periodic automatic replenishment:...
2Jamaican Creolepar—
3Jamaican Creolepartner—
4EnglishpartnerSomeone who is associated with another in a...
5Middle Englishpartener—
6EnglishparcenerA coheir, or one of two or more heirs to an...
7Old Frenchparçoniercoholder; co-owner; coheir; parcener; participant
8Old Frenchparçondivision; separation
9Latinpartitionemaccusative singular of partītiō
10LatinpartitioThe act of sharing or parting; partition,...
11Latinpartīre—
12Latinparspart, side, piece, share; some; faction
13Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
14Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →