underlie

English

Alternative forms

• underly

Etymology

From Middle English underliggen, from Old English underlicgan (“to underlie, to be subject to, give way to”), equivalent to under- +‎ lie. Cognate with Dutch onderliggen (“to lie below, lie on the bottom of”), German unterliegen (“to lie under, be subject to, succumb”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌʌn.də(r)ˈlaɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪ

Verb

underlie (third-person singular simple present underlies, present participle underlying, simple past underlay, past participle underlain)

1. (intransitive) To lie in a position directly beneath.
2. (transitive) To lie under or beneath.
3. (transitive) To serve as a basis of; form the foundation of.
4. (transitive) To be subject to; be liable to answer, as a charge or challenge.
5. (mining) To underlay.

Translations

to serve as a basis of

• Finnish: olla perustana
• German: zugrunde liegen
• Indonesian: mendasari (id), melandasi (id)

• Japanese: 基礎となる (kiso to naru)
• Spanish: subyacer (es)