- undertaker (n.)
[undertaker 词源字典] - c. 1400, "a contractor or projecter of any sort," agent noun from undertake (v.). The specialized sense (1690s) emerged from funeral-undertaker.[undertaker etymology, undertaker origin, 英语词源]
- undertaking (n.)
- "enterprise," early 15c., verbal noun from undertake (v.). An Old English word for this was underfangenes.
- undertone (n.)
- 1762, "low or subdued tone," from under + tone (n.). Figurative sense of "undercurrent of feelings, etc.," is attested from 1861.
- undertow (n.)
- 1798, from under + tow (n.).
- underutilize (v.)
- also under-utilize, 1949, from under + utilize. Related: Underutilized; underutilizing.
- undervalue (v.)
- 1590s, "to rate as inferior in value" (to), from under + value (v.). Sense of "to estimate or esteem too low" is recorded from 1610s. Meaning "to rate at too low a monetary value" is attested from 1620s. Related: Undervalued; undervaluing.
- underwater (adj.)
- 1620s, from under + water (n.1). Of mortgages from 2008.
- underway (adv.)
- 1749, of ships, "having begun to move," from under + way (n.). In reference to projects, activities, etc., it is attested from 1935.
- underwear (n.)
- "undergarments," 1872, from under + wear (n.). So called because they are worn under one's clothing.
- underweight (adj.)
- 1899, from under- + weight.
- underwhelm (v.)
- 1953 (implied in underwhelming), a facetious play on overwhelm, with under. Related: Underwhelmed; underwhelmingly.
- underworld (n.)
- c. 1600, "the lower world, Hades, place of departed souls," also "the earth, the world below the skies," as distinguished from heaven. Similar formation in German unterwelt, Dutch onderwereld, Danish underverden. Meaning "lower level of society" is first recorded 1890; "criminals and organized crime collectively" is attested from 1900.
- underwrite (v.)
- Old English underwritan "write at the foot of; subscribe;" see under + write (v.). A loan-translation of Latin subscribere (see subscribe). Used literally at first; modern sense of "to accept the risk of insurance" (1620s) is from notion of signing a marine insurance policy. Meaning "to support by a guarantee of money" is recorded from 1890.
- underwriter (n.)
- 1610s, "subscriber," agent noun from underwrite (v.). Insurance sense is from 1620s.
- undeserved (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of deserve (v.). Related: Undeservedly.
- undeserving (adj.)
- 1540s, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of deserve (v.).
- undesirable (adj.)
- 1660s, "not to be desired, objectionable," from un- (1) "not" + desirable. The noun meaning "undesirable person or thing" is first attested 1883. Undesired "not asked or invited" is recorded from late 15c.
- undetectable (adj.)
- 1789, from un- (1) "not" + detectable (see detect (v.)).
- undetected (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of detect (v.).
- undetermined (adj.)
- mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of determine (v.).
