Where does “undersized” come from?
Undersized comes from English size with the past participle suffix -ed, ultimately from Proto-Germanic under and Proto-Indo-European n̥dʰér meaning "under," combined with Proto-Indo-European -tós forming adjectives.
undersized (English): below the usual or expected size
Definitions
- below the usual or expected size
Ancestry of “undersized”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sized | Having a certain size. Usually used in... |
| 2 | English | size | An assize; A regulation determining the amount of... |
| 3 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 4 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 5 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 6 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |