Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “understructure” come from?

understructure (English) comes from English structure, from Middle French structure, from Latin structūra, from Latin struō, from Proto-Italic strowō, from Proto-Indo-European strew-, from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.

understructure (English): The supporting structure underneath something,...

Definitions

  1. The supporting structure underneath something,...

Ancestry of “understructure”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstructureA cohesive whole built up of distinct parts; The...
2Middle Frenchstructure—
3Latinstructūra—
4Latinstruō—
5Proto-Italicstrowōpile up; construct, build
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstrew-to spread, to strew
7Proto-Indo-Europeansterh₃-to spread, extend, stretch out
8Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →