Wordwyrt

subaltern

Meaningother, under

Common meaning: a junior officer

‘under’ + ‘the other of two’ → subaltern

Journey through time

  1. Latinalter‘the other of two’
  2. Frenchsubalterne
  3. Englishsubaltern‘a junior officer’ · today

sub- also in: subornsubtlesuburbsubmergesubjugate

altern also in: alternatealteraltercation

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.
  • US IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.

Origin: Built on Latin alter ‘the other of two’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry alter, p. 97 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • alter Latin “the other of two”

Related words

alteraltercationalternate

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