Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “undersurface” come from?

Undersurface derives from English surface, from French surface (sur- plus facies), from Latin super- meaning "over" and facies meaning "face" or "appearance," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- meaning "to place" or "put."

undersurface (English): The underneath surface; the bottom, or underside

Definitions

  1. The underneath surface; the bottom, or underside

Ancestry of “undersurface”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishunder-Under : insufficient, insufficiently, below what...
2EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
3Middle Englishunder—
4Old Englishunderunder
5Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →