Where does “underdefend” come from?
underdefend (English) comes from English defend, from Middle English defenden, from Old French défendre, from Latin dēfendō, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē, from Latin post, from Latin poste — afterwards, post; by, at.
underdefend (English): To defend inadequately
Definitions
- To defend inadequately
Ancestry of “underdefend”, step by step
underdefend traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English defend
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | defend | To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect;... |
| 2 | Middle English | defenden | defend |
| 3 | Old French | défendre | to defend |
| 4 | Latin | dēfendō | to drive away |
| 5 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 6 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 7 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 8 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |
via English under
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | under | In or at a lower level than; As a subject of;... |
| 2 | Middle English | under | under |
| 3 | Old English | under | under, beneath |
| 4 | Germanic | *under | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *(H)n̥dʰér | under, below |