WikiWord

English

underlie

/ˌʌn.dəˈlaɪ/ · verb

Meaning

  1. To lie in a position directly beneath something.
  2. To lie under or beneath.
  3. To serve as a basis of; form the foundation of.
  4. To be subject to; be liable to answer, as a charge or challenge.
  5. To underlay.

Etymology / origin

From Middle English underlien, underliggen, from Old English underliċġan (“to underlie, to be subject to, give way to”), equivalent to under- + lie. Cognate with Dutch onderliggen (“to lie below, lie on the bottom of”), German unterliegen (“to lie under, be subject to, succumb”).

  1. unterliegen(German)
  2. onderliggen(nl)
  3. underliċġan(ang)
  4. underlien(enm)
  5. underlie (English)
  6. Relations: inh, inh, cog, cog

Related words

Descendant words

Sources

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