Where does “undergrowth” come from?

Undergrowth derives from English grow combined with the Old English prefix under-, which traces back through Proto-Germanic under to Proto-Indo-European n̥dʰér meaning beneath.

undergrowth (English): The plants in a forest which only reach a...

Definitions

  1. The plants in a forest which only reach a...

Ancestry of “undergrowth”, 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 →