English
subdue
Subdue comes from Latin subdūcō ‘to draw away’, from dūcō ‘lead’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to pull, to draw’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubdūcō‘to draw away’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400souduire
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500subdewen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588subdue
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubdūcō‘to draw away’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400souduire
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500subdewen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588subdue
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “And when their ſcattered armie is ſubdu’d: And you…”
The story
From Middle English subdewen, subduen, sodewen, from Old French souduire, from Latin subdūcō (‘to draw away’), perhaps influenced by subdō (‘to subdue, subject’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to pull, to draw’
team, touch, tie, toy, introduce, tow, tying, tuck, duchess, tighten, tug, herzog, tether, taut, untie, tew, teem, induct, 94 more
through Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’
unproductive, productively, abductor, preproduction, 93 more
through Proto-Italic *doukō ‘to lead’
producer, productive, productivity, reproduction, conductor, reproduce, deduction, seduction, deduct, byproduct, conduction, inductive, reductive, transduction, abduct, overproduction, ductile, inductor, adductor, dukedom, adduct, 97 more
through Latin dūcō ‘lead’
education, production, product, produce, reduce, introduction, conduct, reduction, duke, educate, dolphin, induction, conn, douche, educator, induce, duct, conducive, seduce, doge, duchy, transducer, cond, redux, duc, duce, redoubt, ducal, dux, 118 more
Today it means
verb To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dewk- / subdue