Where does “underambition” come from?

underambition (English) comes from English ambition, from Middle English ambicioun, from Old French ambition, from Latin ambitio, from Latin ambiō, from Latin ambi-, from Latin ambō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi — on, onto.

underambition (English): The quality of being underambitious

Definitions

  1. The quality of being underambitious

Ancestry of “underambition”, step by step

underambition traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ambition

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishambitionEager or inordinate desire for some object that...
2Middle EnglishambiciounExcessive ambition
3Old Frenchambition
4LatinambitioA going around or about; that which surrounds; A...
5Latinambiōto round, go round, pass around, skirt
6Latinambi-around, about
7Latinambōboth
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via English under

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
2Middle Englishunderunder
3Old Englishunderunder, beneath
4Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en-
underambition — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer