underlining

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Indo-European *-tér

Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér

Proto-Indo-European *h₂én

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi

?

Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí

Proto-Indo-European *-ér

Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér

Proto-Germanic *under

Proto-West Germanic *undar

Old English under-

Middle English under-

English under-

substratebor.

Proto-Indo-European *līn-der.?

Proto-Germanic *līną

Proto-Germanic *līnǭ

Proto-West Germanic *līnā

Old English līne

Middle French ligneinflu.

Middle English line

Middle French ligneinflu.

English line

English underline

English -ing

English underlining

From underline + -ing.

Verb

underlining

1. present participle and gerund of underline

Noun

underlining (countable and uncountable, plural underlinings)

1. An act or instance of marking text with an underline.

   Synonym: underlineation

   • 2005, Theodore Cheney, Getting the Words Right, page 238:

     There are so many underlinings, so many exclamation points in the margins, and so much highlighting from my many readings and appreciatings that it looks like a case of severe book abuse. It is not; these are marks of love.

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Indo-European *-tér

Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér

Proto-Indo-European *h₂én

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi

?

Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí

Proto-Indo-European *-ér

Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér

Proto-Germanic *under

Proto-West Germanic *undar

Old English under-

Middle English under-

English under-

English lining

English underlining

From under- + lining.

Noun

underlining (plural underlinings)

1. A lining on the inside of a garment.

See also

Not to be confused with underlying.