Where does “supple” come from?
Supple comes from Middle English souple, from Old French souple, from Latin supplex meaning "bending under," derived from supplico combining Latin sub "under" and plico "to fold," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pel- and upo.
supple (English): pliant, flexible, easy to bend; lithe and agile...
Definitions
- pliant, flexible, easy to bend; lithe and agile...
Ancestry of “supple”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | souple | flexible; supple |
| 2 | Old French | souple | supple |
| 3 | Latin | supplex | kneeling; begging; suppliant |
| 4 | Latin | supplicō | — |
| 5 | Latin | sub- | sub- |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
Words derived from “supple”