Advertisement

Origin and history of subsidiary

subsidiary(adj.)

"held in reserve, held ready to furnish assistance," 1540s, from Latin subsidiarius "belonging to a reserve, of a reserve, reserved; serving to assist or supplement," from subsidium "a help, aid, relief, troops in reserve" (see subsidy).

As a noun, c. 1600, "subsidiary thing, one who or that which contributes aid or additional support." The Latin adjective also was used in Latin as a noun meaning "the reserve."

also from 1540s

Entries linking to subsidiary

subsidy(n.)

late 14c., subsidie, "help, aid, assistance, relief," especially "aid in money, pecuniary aid," from Anglo-French subsidie, Old French subside "help, aid, assistance, contribution," from Latin subsidium "a help, aid, assistance, (military) reinforcements, troops in reserve," from subsidere "to settle down, stay, remain" (see subside). The meaning "direct pecuniary aid to private industry" is by 1867.

subsidiarity(n.)

"quality of being subsidiary," 1936, from German Subsidiarität, paraphrasing the Latin of Pius XI in his Quadragesimo Anno of 1931; see subsidiary + -ity.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    subordinate
    mid-15c., subordinat, "having an inferior rank, arranged so that it is dependent on another," from Medieval Latin subordinatus "placed in a lower order, made subject," past participle of subordinare "place in a lower order," from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + ordinare "arrange,
    appurtenance
    c. 1300, "right, privilege or possession subsidiary to a principal one," especially in law, "a right, privilege, or improvement...
    parameter
    1650s in geometry, in reference to conic sections, from Modern Latin parameter (1630s), from Greek para- "beside, subsidiary...
    divest
    Economic sense "sell off (a subsidiary company, later an investment) is by 1961. Related: Divested; divesting....
    note
    From 1550s as "a mark in the margin of a book calling attention to something in the text," hence "a statement subsidiary...
    supporter
    early 15c., "adherent, partisan, one who upholds or helps to carry on the interests of another," agent noun from support (v.). Fem. form supportress is by 1620s. The meaning "that which sustains the weight of something else" physically (in ship-building, etc.) is from 1590s. As "
    company
    mid-12c., "large group of people," from Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.), from Late Latin companio, literally "bread fellow, messmate," from Latin com "with, together" (see com-) + panis "bread," from PIE root *pa- "to feed." Abbreviat
    associate
    mid-15c., "join in company, combine intimately" (transitive), from Latin associatus past participle of associare "join with," from assimilated form of ad "to" (see ad-) + sociare "unite with," from socius "companion, ally" (from suffixed form of PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").
    help
    Old English helpan "to help, support, succor; benefit, do good to; cure, amend" (transitive, class III strong verb; past tense healp, past participle holpen), from Proto-Germanic *helpanan (source also of Old Norse hjalpa, Old Frisian helpa, Middle Dutch and Dutch helpen, Old Hig
    man
    "a featherless plantigrade biped mammal of the genus Homo" [Century Dictionary], Old English man, mann "human being, person (male or female); brave man, hero;" also "servant, vassal, adult male considered as under the control of another person," from Proto-Germanic *mann- (source

    Share subsidiary

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near subsidiary
    Advertisement