I can’t say as I’ve ever understood why, when we comprehend something, we stand under it. So this week we’re working to understand the word understand. =)
According to the wonderful world of www.etymonline.com (one of the best resources IN THE UNIVERSE!), this word, which has been in the English language pretty much since the English language has been, carries an old sense of “standing in the midst of.” And if you’re in the midst of it, you get it.
Now, the “under” is the tricky part. Etymonline quotes a few different expert opinions on why it’s “under.” They all agree it isn’t “under” as in beneath, but rather as in “between, among.” Take, as a modern day idiom that has survived with this meaning, the example “Under such circumstances.” We don’t mean we’re literally under these circumstances, but rather in the midst of them.
Some other Germanic languages have a word that means “stand before” rather than “stand under,” but ultimately the idea comes back to truly comprehending something when you’re very near it.
Understand? 😉
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
Very interesting! I love words, their meanings and roots too. Thanks for the post.