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Origin and history of under

under(prep., adv.)

Old English under (prep.) "beneath, among, before, in the presence of, in subjection to, under the rule of, by means of," also, as an adverb, "beneath, below, underneath," expressing position with reference to that which is above.

It is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *under- (source also of Old Frisian under, Dutch onder, Old High German untar, German unter, Old Norse undir, Gothic undar), from PIE *ndher- "under" (source also of Sanskrit adhah "below;" Avestan athara- "lower;" Latin infernus "lower," infra "below").

It was productive as a prefix in Old English, as in German and Scandinavian (often forming words modeled on Latin ones in sub-); Middle English had more than 200 words with it.

The notion of "inferior in rank, position, etc." was present in Old English. With reference to standards, "less than in age, price, value," etc., late 14c. As an adjective, "lower in position; lower in rank or degree" from 13c. Also used in Old English as a preposition meaning "between, among," as still in under these circumstances, etc. (though this may be a different root; compare understand).

In many figurative expressions: To keep something under (one's) hat "secret" is from 1885; to have something under (one's) nose "in plain sight" is from 1540s; to get something under (one's) belt was literally to eat or drink it (1839), figurative use is by 1931. To be under (someone's) wing "protected by (someone)" is recorded from early 13c.

To speak under (one's) breath "in a low voice" is attested by 1832.

Entries linking to under

understand(v.)

Old English understandan "comprehend, grasp the idea of, achieve comprehension; receive from a word or words or from a sign or symbol the idea it is intended to convey;" also "view in a certain way," probably literally "stand in the midst of," from under + standan "to stand" (see stand (v.)).

If this is the meaning, the under is not the usual word meaning "beneath," but from Old English under, from PIE *nter- "between, among" (source also of Sanskrit antar "among, between," Latin inter "between, among," Greek entera "intestines;" see inter-). Related: Understood; understanding.

That is the suggestion in Barnhart, but other sources regard the "among, between, before, in the presence of" sense of Old English prefix and preposition under as other meanings of the same word. "Among" seems to be the sense in many Old English compounds that resemble understand, such as underfinden "be aware, perceiver" (c. 1200); undersecan "examine, investigate, scrutinize" (literally "underseek"); underðencan "consider, change one's mind;" underginnan "to begin;" underniman "receive." Also compare undertake, which in Middle English also meant "accept, understand."

It also seems to be the sense still in expressions such as under such circumstances. Perhaps the ultimate sense is "be close to;" compare Greek epistamai "I know how, I know," literally "I stand upon."

Similar formations are found in Old Frisian (understonda), Middle Danish (understande), while other Germanic languages use compounds meaning "stand before" (German verstehen, represented in Old English by forstanden "understand," also "oppose, withstand"). For this concept, most Indo-European languages use figurative extensions of compounds that literally mean "put together," or "separate," or "take, grasp" (see comprehend).

The range of spellings of understand in Middle English (Middle English Compendium lists 70, including understont, understounde, unþurstonde, onderstonde, hunderstonde, oundyrston, wonderstande, urdenstonden) perhaps reflects early confusion over the elements of the compound. Old English oferstandan, Middle English overstonden, literally "over-stand" seem to have been used only in literal senses.

By mid-14c. as "to take as meant or implied (though not expressed); imply; infer; assume; take for granted." The intransitive sense of "have the use of the intellectual faculties; be an intelligent and conscious being" also is in late Old English.

In Middle English also "reflect, muse, be thoughtful; imagine; be suspicious of; pay attention, take note; strive for; plan, intend; conceive (a child)." In the Trinity Homilies (c. 1200), a description of Christ becoming human was that he understood mannish.

Also sometimes literal, "to occupy space at a lower level" (late 14c.) and, figuratively, "to submit." For "stand under" in a physical sense, Old English had undergestandan.

hereunder(adv.)

"under this," early 15c., from here + under.

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table
Middle English, from Old French table, tabel "board, square panel, plank; writing table; picture; food, fare" (11c.), and also a survival of late Old English tabele "flat and relatively thin surface of some hard material," especially "writing tablet (of slabs of wood, etc.,), gam
below
"in a lower position," early 14c., biloogh, from be- "by, about" + logh, lou, lowe "low" (see low (adj.)). Apparently a variant of earlier a-lowe (influenced by other adverbs in be-; see before), the parallel form to an-high (now on high). Beneath was the usual word; below was ve
nether
Old English niþera, neoþera "down, downwards, lower, below, beneath," from Proto-Germanic *nitheraz (source also of Old Saxon nithar, Old Norse niðr, which contributed to the English word, Old Frisian nither, Dutch neder, German nieder), from comparative of PIE *ni- "down, below"
subpoena
"legal writ or process commanding attendance in a court of justice of person on whom it is served, under penalty of a fine..., etc.," early 15c., sub pena, from Medieval Latin sub poena "under penalty," the first words of the writ commanding the...presence of someone under penalty of failure, from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + poena, ablative of poena "penalty" (see...
subject
early 14c., "person under control or dominion of another," specifically a government or ruler, from Old French sogit, suget..., subget "a subject person or thing" (12c., Modern French sujet), from noun use of Latin subiectus "lying under, below, near...bordering on," figuratively "subjected, subdued," past participle of subicere, subiicere "to place under, throw under, bind...under; to make subject, subordinate," from sub "under" (from PIE root *upo "under") + combining form of iacere "to throw...
hyphen
This was a noun use of an adverb meaning "together, in one," literally "under one," from hypo "under" (from PIE root *upo..."under") + hen, neuter of heis "one," from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with."...
intern
"one working under supervision as part of professional training," originally "assistant resident physician, doctor in training...Extended to other professions (originally teaching) from 1963 in reference to one under training and acquiring practical...
elbow
"bend of the arm," c. 1200, elbowe, from a contraction of Old English elnboga "elbow," from Proto-Germanic *elino-bugon, literally "bend of the forearm" (source also of Middle Dutch ellenboghe, Dutch elleboog, Old High German elinbogo, German Ellenboge, Old Norse ölnbogi). First
bowel
c. 1300, usually plural, bowels, "human organs of the abdominal cavity," from late 14c. specifically as "human intestines," from Old French boele "intestines, bowels, innards" (12c., Modern French boyau), from Medieval Latin botellus "small intestine," originally "sausage," dimin
tribe
mid-13c., "one of the twelve divisions of the ancient Hebrews," from Old French tribu or directly from Latin tribus "one of the three political/ethnic divisions of the original Roman state" (Tites, Ramnes, and Luceres, corresponding, perhaps, to the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans

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