DictionaryRoot: sub-
Latin

sub-

under; up from under; subordinate or lesser

Forms

  • sub-
  • suc- — Used before c in Latin.
  • suf- — Used before f in Latin.
  • sug- — Used before g in Latin.
  • sum- — Used before m in Latin.
  • sup- — Used before p in Latin.
  • sur- — Used before r in Latin.
  • su- — Used before s in some Latin compounds.
  • sus- — A historical Latin variant associated with the longer form subs-.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *upo, ‘under; up from below.’

Note

An upward action can start underneath something, so ‘under’ and ‘up’ need not conflict.

50 / 101
Detached homes with small gardens line a short residential street beyond a distant compact city skyline; clear suburban position and white margins.
noun

suburb

SUB-urb/ˈsʌbɜːrb/

A residential community on the edge of or just outside a city.

Etymology

Here sub- means near or below: a suburb was an outlying area just outside a city's walls. Such areas could be agricultural or residential, with the selected sense focusing on housing.

Full entry

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