Where does “subalterne” come from?
subalterne (Middle French) comes from Classical Latin subalternus, from Latin alternus, from Latin alter, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élteros, from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- — to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam.
Ancestry of “subalterne”, step by step
subalterne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Classical Latin subalternus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Latin | subalternus | — |
| 2 | Latin | alternus | alternate (one after the other), successive |
| 3 | Latin | alter | the other, the second; the one...the other |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂élteros | other , second |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂el- | to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam |
via Latin subalternus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | subalternus | — |