Where does “underly” come from?

underly (English) comes from English under, from Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér, from Proto-Indo-European h₁en — in; in, inside.

underly (English): Poor; inferior; At a lower level; In an inferior...

Definitions

  1. Poor; inferior; At a lower level; In an inferior...

Ancestry of “underly”, step by step

underly traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English under

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
2Middle Englishunderunder
3Old Englishunderunder, beneath
4Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside

via English underlying

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishunderlyinglying underneath; basic or fundamental; implicit
2EnglishunderlieTo lie in a position directly beneath; To lie...
3Middle Englishunderlien
4Old Englishunderliċġanto underlie, to be subject to, give way to

via English ly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlyAbbreviation of light-year
2VietnameselyAlternative spelling of li
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en
underly — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer