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.

68 / 101
Paramedics assist a seated adult in respiratory distress with an oxygen mask, non-graphic rescue context.
noun

suffocation

suf-uh-KAY-shun/ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃn/

Distress or death caused by being unable to breathe.

Etymology

The pieces evoke narrowing the throat up: the underlying Latin verb originally meant “to narrow up,” then “to choke or stifle.” Suffocation names the resulting obstruction of breathing and its harmful effects.

Full entry

Related word entries