Where does “underscore” come from?

underscore (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.

underscore (English): An underline; a line drawn or printed beneath...

Definitions

  1. An underline; a line drawn or printed beneath...

Ancestry of “underscore”, step by step

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

Words derived from “underscore”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér →Every word from Proto-Germanic under →