Where does “undercurrent” come from?

Undercurrent comes from Middle English under- combined with current, which derives from Old English under-, Proto-Germanic under, and Latin currere meaning to run.

undercurrent (English): A current of water which flows under the surface,...

Definitions

  1. A current of water which flows under the surface,...

Ancestry of “undercurrent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishunder-Beneath, under
2EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
3Middle Englishunderunder
4Old Englishunderunder, beneath
5Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →