Where does “underdog” come from?
Underdog derives from Middle English under- combined with dog, from Old English under- and dog, ultimately from Proto-Germanic under and an unrelated word for dog.
underdog (English): A competitor thought unlikely to win; Somebody at...
Definitions
- A competitor thought unlikely to win; Somebody at...
Ancestry of “underdog”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dog | A mammal, "Canis familiaris" or "Canis lupus... |
| 2 | English | dogshit | Dog excrement; Something disgusting, abominable,... |
| 3 | English | shit | Solid excretory product evacuated from the... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | schite | — |
| 5 | Old Dutch | skīta | — |
| 6 | Old Saxon | skiti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skītaz | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱeyd- | to shade; to cut off; to part with, separate, cut... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |