Where does “sub” come from?
sub (Italian) comes from Italian subacqueo, from Italian acqueo, from Medieval Latin aqueus, from Latin -eus, from Ancient Greek -εῖος, from Proto-Indo-European -iHwós, from Proto-Indo-European -wós — Creates adjectives from verb stems.
sub (Italian): skin-diver, scuba diver; bottom, submissive
Definitions
- skin-diver, scuba diver; bottom, submissive
Ancestry of “sub”, step by step
sub traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Italian subacqueo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | subacqueo | subaquatic, underwater; scuba diver |
| 2 | Italian | acqueo | water; watery |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | aqueus | watery; aqueous |
| 4 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |
via English submissive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | submissive | Meekly obedient or passive; One who submits to a... |