understand understand

understand=under+stand

 

这个意思在中文中也有。比如西游记中孙悟空让天神下雨，发号施令时有的天神的回答是“奉承奉承”。奉就是在下向上举，承就是在下接住上面的。”奉承“今天的意思是阿谀讨好，而西游记中的意思却是接受命令。西游记中的奉承的用法与英文中的under 诸词近似-----都以在下表示接受或者遵循。understand以”立于下“ 为象，表示完全接受，再引申才是认知上的接受----理解。undergo  undertake 更清楚：行于下，做于下。

subject, early 14c., "person under control or dominion of another," specifically a government or ruler, from Old French sogit, suget, subget "a subject person or thing" (12c., Modern French sujet), from noun use of Latin subiectus "lying under, below, near bordering on," figuratively "subjected, subdued," past participle of subicere, subiicere "to place under, throw under, bind under; to make subject, subordinate," from sub "under" (from PIE root *upo "under") + combining form of iacere "to throw" (from PIE root *ye- "to throw, impel"). In 14c., sugges, sogetis, subgit, sugette; form re-Latinized in English 16c. (https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=subject)

subscribe

early 15c., "to sign at the bottom of a document," from Latin subscribere "write, write underneath, sign one's name; register," also figuratively "assent, agree to, approve," from sub "underneath" (see sub-) + scribere "to write" (from PIE root *skribh- "to cut"). The meaning "give one's consent" (by subscribing one's name) first recorded mid-15c.; that of "contribute money to" 1630s; and that of "become a regular buyer of a publication" 1711, all originally literal. Related: Subscribed; subscribing. (https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=subscribe)

 submit

late 14c., "to place (oneself) under the control of another, to yield oneself," from Latin submittere "to yield, lower, let down, put under, reduce," from sub "under" (see sub-) + mittere "let go, send" (see mission). Transitive sense of "refer to another for consideration" first recorded 1550s. Related: Submitted; submitting. (https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=submit)