Where does “superpolite” come from?
superpolite (English) comes from English super, from English super-ego, from German Über-Ich, from German Ich, from Middle High German ich, from Old High German ih, from Proto-West Germanic ik, from Proto-Germanic *ek — I.
superpolite (English): Exceptionally polite
Definitions
- Exceptionally polite
Ancestry of “superpolite”, step by step
superpolite traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English super
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | super | Of excellent quality, superfine; better than... |
| 2 | English | super-ego | Alternative spelling of superego |
| 3 | German | Über-Ich | superego |
| 4 | German | Ich | ego, the Ich; self, me, him, etc |
| 5 | Middle High German | ich | I |
| 6 | Old High German | ih | I |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | ik | I |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | *ek | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | éǵh₂ | I |