Suborn is from Latin subornāre ('to equip secretly, incite to crime'), from sub- ('secretly, under') + ornāre ('to equip, furnish, adorn'). Important recorded forms include sub (Latin) and ornāre (Latin). Morphologically, the sub- element contributes the sense of under, below, secondary status, or movement from beneath, with the base naming the field of application. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers to induce someone to commit an unlawful act, especially perjury. The wider family includes derived forms such as subornation and suborner and related words such as ornament and ordain.