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Origin and history of underlie

underlie(v.)

Middle English underlien, from Old English under licgan "be subordinate to, submit to;" see under + lie (v.2). The meaning "be situated under, lie under or beneath" is attested from c. 1600; the figurative sense of "to be the basis of" is attested from 1852 (implied in underlying). Similar formation in Old High German untarliggan; German unterliegen.

Entries linking to underlie

lie(v.2)

"rest horizontally, be in a recumbent position," Middle English lien, from Old English licgan (class V strong verb; past tense læg, past participle legen) "be situated, have a specific position; remain; be at rest, lie down," from Proto-Germanic *legjan (source also of Old Norse liggja, Old Saxon liggian, Old Frisian lidzia, Middle Dutch ligghen, Dutch liggen, Old High German ligen, German liegen, Gothic ligan "to lie"), from PIE root *legh- "to lie down, lay."

Especially "to lie in bed," hence often with sexual implications, as in lie with "have sexual intercourse" (c. 1300), and compare Old English licgan mid "cohabit with." To lie in "be brought to childbed" is from mid-15c. To lie to at sea is to come to a standstill. To take (something) lying down "receive passively, receive with abject submission" is from 1854.

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.

underlying(adj.)

"lying beneath, supporting," 1610s, present-participle adjective from underlie. The figurative sense of "fundamental" is by 1852.

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    grim
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