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sur-

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sur-

1 
Use sur- in a Sentence
a prefix meaning “over, above,” “in addition,” occurring mainly in loanwords from French and partial calques of French words: surcharge; surname; surrender; survive.
Compare super-.

Origin:
ME < OF < L super- super-
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sur-

2 
var. of sub- before r: surrogate.

sub-

 
1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin (subject; subtract; subvert; subsidy); on this model, freely attached to elements of any origin and used with the meaning “under,” “below,” “beneath” (subalpine; substratum), “slightly,” “imperfectly,” “nearly” (subcolumnar; subtropical), “secondary,” “subordinate” (subcommittee; subplot).
2. Chemistry.
a. a prefix indicating a basic compound: subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.
b. a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state: subchloride; suboxide.
Also, su-, suc-, suf-, sug-, sum-, sup-, sur-, sus-.

Origin:
< L, comb. form repr. sub (prep.); akin to Gk hypó; see hypo-
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sur-  
pref.  

  1. Over; above; upon: surprint.

  2. Additional: surtax.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin super-; see uper in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sub- 
prefix of L. origin meaning "under," from L. preposition sub "under" (also "close to, up to, towards"), from PIE base *upo- "from below," hence "turning upward, upward, up, over, beyond" (cf. Skt. upa "near, under, up to, on," Gk. hypo "under," Goth. iup, O.N., O.E. upp "up, upward," Hittite up-zi "rises"). Used as a prefix and in various combinations. The original meaning is now obscured in many words from Latin (suggest, suspect, subject, etc.); the prefix is active in Mod. Eng., however, sometimes meaning "subordinate" (as in subcontinent, first recorded 1863) or "inferior" (a sense first attested 1963). Many such words are transparent (e.g. subcommittee, 1610) and etymologies of their root words may be found under those headings. As a word of its own, sub is first recorded 1830, as a shortened form of substitute (originally of printer's substitutes). The verb in this sense is from 1853.

sur- 
prefix meaning "over, above, beyond, in addition," especially in words from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr., from O.Fr. sour-, sor-, sur-, from L. super (see super-).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: sub-
Function: prefix
1 : under : beneath : below <substandard>
2 a : subordinate : secondary : next lower than or inferior to <subagent> b : subordinate portion of : subdivision of <subchapter> <subcommittee> c : assigning to another by the same method <sublicense> <subcontract>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

sub- pref.

  1. Below; under; beneath: subcutaneous.

  2. Subordinate; secondary: subinfection.

  3. Subdivision: subkingdom.

  4. Less than completely or normally; nearly; almost: subfertility.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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