desubtus

Forms

dēsubtus (adverb and preposition, with the accusative or ablative).^[1][2] It is also written dē subtus and dēsuptus.^[3][4][5]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē + subtus (“below”), a Late Latin compound often written ⟨de subtus⟩.^[6][4][7] Köbler refers it to dēsub.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is the Itinerarium Antonini, which he dates to the 3rd century AD.^[3] The dictionaries quote the 4th century: Hilary of Poitiers uses it as a preposition with the ablative and the Mulomedicina Chironis with the accusative, meaning “under”.^[1][8][3]

Semantic evolution

It is used as an adverb (“below”) in the Opus imperfectum on Matthew.^[8] In Medieval Latin it was common in charters and descriptions of boundaries, as an adverb meaning “below, underneath” or “from below”, and as a preposition meaning “under”; it is often paired with dēsuper “above”.^[9][4][7] British writers also used it for “here below, on earth”.^[6] It was still used by Witelo and Copernicus.^[10] Niermeyer derives French dessous from it.^[9]

Timeline

• 3rd century AD – Köbler's first source, the Itinerarium Antonini.^[3]
• c. 315–367 AD – Hilary of Poitiers uses it as a preposition with the ablative.^[1][2][3]
• 4th century AD – The Mulomedicina Chironis uses it with the accusative.^[1][8][3]
• 877 – A charter from Alaó in Catalonia uses de subtus of the lower side of a piece of land.^[7]
• 1372/1373 – A document from Sopron speaks of mills with eight wheels turning beneath.^[5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Below, underneath.^[9][4][6][1]
2. From below.^[9][4]
3. (Medieval Latin) Here below, on earth.^[6]

Preposition

1. (with the accusative, rarely the ablative) Under, below.^[1][8][4][9]
2. (with the ablative) From beneath.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
2. ^ a b VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
6. ^ a b c d e Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis Cataloniae (1960–; online ed. 2025), Barcelona: CSIC / Institució Milà i Fontanals, gmlc.imf.csic.es
8. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl