under

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ˈʌndɚ/ UK /ˈʌndə/ See IPA manual

Freq #377

Meanings

1

adv
In or to a lower position; below.

The diver went under and disappeared from view.
2

adv
Less than a particular amount, number, or age.

Children of six and under are admitted free.
3

adv
Into a state of unconsciousness.

The anaesthetic quickly put the patient under.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in or to a lower position;... below

More beneath underneath

Opposites

above over

Word family

Derived forms under-

Etymology

From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Akin to German unter, Dutch onder, Danish and Norwegian under; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).

under Old English *undar Proto-West Germanic *under Proto-Germanic *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Indo-European

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# under

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ˈʌndɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈʌndə/
**Frequency rank:** 377

## Meanings
1. In or to a lower position; below.
2. Less than a particular amount, number, or age.
3. Into a state of unconsciousness.

## Examples
- The diver went under and disappeared from view.
- Children of six and under are admitted free.
- The anaesthetic quickly put the patient under.

## Synonyms
- below
- beneath
- underneath

## Antonyms
- above
- over

## Derived Forms
- under-

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: under
- Root: *undar
- Root: *under
- Root: *(H)n̥dʰér

## Etymology
From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Akin to German unter, Dutch onder, Danish and Norwegian under; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).

## AI Etymology
Under is from Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Akin to German unter, Dutch onder, Danish and Norwegian under; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”). In present-day use, it can mean in or to a lower position; below, or less than a particular amount, number, or age. Derived formations include under-.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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under

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