Where does “undersecretary” come from?
Undersecretary is English under- plus secretary, which derives from Latin secretarius, an agent noun from secerno meaning to set apart or distinguish.
undersecretary (English): An administrator immediately subordinate to a...
Definitions
- An administrator immediately subordinate to a...
Ancestry of “undersecretary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | secretary | Someone entrusted with a secret; a confidant; A... |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | secretarius | one entrusted with secrets; secretary; a privy... |
| 3 | Latin | sēcrētus | put apart, sundered, severed, separated, having been separated |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀγωγός | leading, guiding; guide, escort; leading to |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἄγω | to lead, fetch, bring along (a living creature), take with |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | ágō | to lead, to guide |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |