Where does “underdefinition” come from?
underdefinition (English) comes from English definition, from Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin dēfīnītiō, from Latin dēfīniō, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē, from Latin post — afterwards, post; by, at.
underdefinition (English): The act or process of underdefining; inadequate...
Definitions
- The act or process of underdefining; inadequate...
Ancestry of “underdefinition”, step by step
underdefinition traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English definition
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | definition | A statement of the meaning of a word or word... |
| 2 | Middle English | diffinicioun | — |
| 3 | Middle French | definition | definition |
| 4 | Latin | dēfīnītiō | definition; precise description |
| 5 | Latin | dēfīniō | to bound, set bounds to; to limit |
| 6 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 7 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 8 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 9 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 12 | 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 |