Where does “succumb” come from?

Succumb comes from Old French succomber, from Latin succumbere, formed from the prefix sub- meaning "under" and a root from Proto-Indo-European ḱew- meaning "to bend" or "to bow."

succumb (English): To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming...

Definitions

  1. To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming...

Ancestry of “succumb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchsuccomberto succumb; to cause to succumb; to die
2LatinsuccumboI sink, fall, lie or break down; I succumb or...
3Latinsub-under, sub
4Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “succumb”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European upó →Every word from Latin sub- →