submerge

Where does the word "submerge" come from? It comes from Latin mergere, passing through Latin before entering English (1600s).

Submerge’s story begins in Latin: mergere meant “to dip, to plunge.” To dip, to plunge, combined with sub- (under). Within Latin, it grew into submergere by ancient. To plunge under, to sink, from sub- and mergere. It reached English by 1600s as submerge. Settled as the English word for placing something completely underwater. Today, submerge means to place or go completely under the surface of water or a liquid.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient mergere "to dip, to plunge", to dip, to plunge, combined with sub- (under).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient submergere "to plunge under, to sink", to plunge under, to sink, from sub- and mergere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s submerge "to place something completely underwater", settled as the English word for placing something completely underwater.