Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “under” come from?

Under comes from Old English under, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European n̥dʰér, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁en.

under (English): In or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...

Definitions

  1. In or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...

Ancestry of “under”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishunder—
2Old Englishunderunder
3Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside

Words derived from “under”

  • underwater
  • undercover
  • hereunder
  • underhand
  • underage
  • underclothes
  • underling
  • undermost
  • underwing
  • undercroft
  • underbody
  • underly
  • underaged
  • whereunder
  • undercard
  • underlinen
  • underclassman
  • undertrial
  • undereye
  • undersheet
  • underrobe
  • hereinunder
  • undertext
  • crossunder
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →