Where does “undercliff” come from?

undercliff (English) comes from English under, from Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér, from Proto-Indo-European h₁en — in; in, inside.

undercliff (English): A subordinate cliff on a shore, consisting of...

Definitions

  1. A subordinate cliff on a shore, consisting of...

Ancestry of “undercliff”, step by step

undercliff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English Cliff

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCliffA diminutive of the male given name Clifford or Clifton
2Middle EnglishclyfA cliff; a heavily sloped hillside or...
3Old Englishclifa cliff; a group of rocks or crag
4Proto-West Germanic*klib—
5Proto-Germanicklibącliff, rock
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →