Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “underpay” come from?

underpay (English) comes from English pay, from Middle English payen, from Old French paiier, from Medieval Latin pacare, from Latin pācāre, from Latin pāx, from Proto-Italic pāks, from Proto-Indo-European péh₂ḱ-s — to join, to attach; agreement, settlement.

underpay (English): To pay less than the value of their work; to pay...

Definitions

  1. To pay less than the value of their work; to pay...

Ancestry of “underpay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpayTo give money or other compensation to in...
2Middle Englishpayenpagan
3Old Frenchpaiierto pay
4Medieval Latinpacareto settle, satisfy; present active infinitive of...
5Latinpācāre—
6Latinpāx—
7Proto-Italicpākspeace
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpéh₂ḱ-speace
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ḱ-to join, to attach; agreement, settlement

Words derived from “underpay”

  • underpayer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ḱ- →