Where does “subterfuge” come from?
subterfuge (Middle French) comes from Medieval Latin subterfugium, from Latin subterfugio, from Latin subter, from Latin sub, from Proto-Italic supo, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
Ancestry of “subterfuge”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | subterfugium | — |
| 2 | Latin | subterfugio | I flee secretly or by stealth; I escape, I shun,... |
| 3 | Latin | subter | down below, underneath; directly below an area... |
| 4 | Latin | sub | under, beneath; behind; at the feet of |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | supo | under |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |