Where does “surreptitiously” come from?
Surreptitiously comes from Middle English -ly added to Latin surrepo, derived from Latin sub- and Latin sub, ultimately traced to Proto-Indo-European līg- and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
surreptitiously (English): In a surreptitious manner; stealthily, furtively,...
Definitions
- In a surreptitious manner; stealthily, furtively,...
Ancestry of “surreptitiously”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | surreptitious | Stealthy, furtive, well hidden, covert |
| 2 | Latin | surrēptīcius | stolen, clandestine |
| 3 | Latin | surreptus | snatched away; pilfered |
| 4 | Latin | surripio | I snatch away; I steal or pilfer |
| 5 | Latin | sub- | under, sub |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |