Where does “surreptitious” come from?

Surreptitious derives from Latin surrepticius, formed from Latin surrepo (to creep under), combining Latin sub- (under) with a root from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- (to move or turn).

surreptitious (English): Stealthy, furtive, well hidden, covert

Definitions

  1. Stealthy, furtive, well hidden, covert

Ancestry of “surreptitious”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsurrēptīciusstolen, clandestine
2Latinsurreptussnatched away; pilfered
3LatinsurripioI snatch away; I steal or pilfer
4Latinsub-under, sub
5Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “surreptitious”

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