Where does “undermine” come from?
Undermine comes from English mine, from French mine meaning excavation or explosive device, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men- meaning to project or jut out.
undermine (English): To dig underneath (something), to make a passage for destructive or military purposes; to sap
Definitions
- To dig underneath (something), to make a passage for destructive or military purposes; to sap
Ancestry of “undermine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mine | Alternative letter-case form of mine "often used... |
| 2 | French | mine | mine; pencil lead; piledriver, scorcher |
| 3 | Breton | min | face of an animal; beak, muzzle |
| 4 | Italian | mina | mine, land mine; lead in pencils; mine which... |
| 5 | Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |
| 6 | Gaulish | mēnā | ore, mine |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | *meinis | ore, metal |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy(H)nis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mēy(H)- | to cut, hew |