Etymograph

English

superior

Superior comes from Old French superiour, from Latin superior, the comparative of superus ‘upper’, from super ‘above’, from Proto-Indo-European *upér.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*upér‘over’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*super‘above’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuper‘above’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuperus‘that is above, upper’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuperior‘higher’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400superiour‘superior’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1711superior

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*upér‘over’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*super‘above’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuper‘above’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuperus‘that is above, upper’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuperior‘higher’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400superiour‘superior’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1711superior

Earliest quotation: 1711, FRIDAY, December 1, 1711: “There is not in earth a spectacle more worthy…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *upér ‘over’

over, uber, 20 more

through Proto-Italic *super ‘above’

supreme, summary, consummate, supra, summa, 16 more

through Latin super ‘above, over’

sovereign, soprano, 14 more

Today it means

adj Higher in rank, status, or quality.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *upér / superior

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