Online Etymology Dictionary

suavity (n.): c.1400, "pleasantness, delightfulness; kindness, gentleness," from Latin suavitas, from suavis (see suave).
sub (n.): shortened form of substitute, 1830; the verb in this sense is from 1853. Related: Subbed; subbing. From 1917 as short for submarine (n.).
sub judice: Latin, literally "under a judge."
sub rosa: "privately, secretly," Latin, literally "under the rose," which was regarded as a symbol of secrecy.
sub voce: Latin, literally "under the word or heading." Usually abbreviated s.v.
sub-: word-forming element meaning "under," from Latin preposition sub "under" (also "close to, up to, towards"), from a variant form (*(s)up-, perhaps representing *ex-upo-) of PIE root *upo- "from below," hence "turning upward, upward, up, up from under, over, beyond" (cf. Sanskrit upa "near, under, up to, on," Greek hypo "under," Gothic iup, Old Norse, Old English 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 Modern English, sometimes meaning "subordinate" (as in subcontinent, first recorded 1863) or "inferior" (a sense first attested 1963).
sub-machine gun (n.): "light, portable machine gun," 1926, from sub- + machine gun.
subacute (adj.): 1752, from sub- + acute.
subaltern (n.): "subordinate," c.1400 (implied in subalternal), from Middle French subalterne, from Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + alternus "every other (one), one after the other" (see alternate). The noun meaning "person of inferior rank" is attested from c.1600; as the designation of an army officer, from 1680s.
subaqueous (adj.): 1670s, from sub- + aqueous.
subatomic (adj.): 1903, from sub-atom (1880), from sub- + atomic.
subcommittee (n.): c.1600, from sub- + committee.
subconscious (adj.): 1823, "not wholly conscious" (implied in subconsciously), from sub- + conscious. First attested in De Quincey. The noun, in the psychological sense, is attested from 1886; earlier subconsciousness (1874).
subcontinent (n.): 1863, from sub- + continent (n.).
subcontract (n.): "contract for carrying out all or part of a previous contract," 1817, from sub- + contract (v.).
subcontractor (n.): 1842, from sub- + contractor.
subculture (n.): 1886, in reference to bacterial cultures, from sub- + culture (n.). From 1936 in reference to human cultures.
subcutaneous (adj.): "under the skin," 1650s, from sub- + cutaneous. Related: Subcutaneously.
subdivide (v.): early 15c., from Late Latin subdividere from sub in the sense of "resulting from further division" (see sub-) + Latin dividere (see division).
subdivision (n.): early 15c., "process of dividing into smaller parts;" mid-15c., "portion of land that has been divided," noun of action from subdivide. Sense of "land broken into lots for housing development" is from 1911.
subduce (v.): mid-15c., "to delete;" 1540s, "to withdraw oneself" (from a place, allegiance, etc.), from Latin subducere "to draw away, withdraw, remove," from sub- (see sub-) + ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.)). Related: Subduced; subducing.
subduction (n.): early 15c., "withdrawal, removal" (originally of noxious substances from the body), from Latin subductionem (nominative subductio), noun of action from past participle stem of subducere (see subduce). Geological sense is attested from 1970, from French (1951).
subdue (v.): late 14c., "to conquer," from Old French souduire "deceive, seduce," from Latin subducere "draw, lead away, withdraw" (see subduce). The sense seems to have been taken in Anglo-French from Latin subdere. Subduct in the sense of "subtract" is from 1570s. Related: Subdued; subduing.
subdued (adj.): c.1600, "subjugated," past participle adjective from subdue. Meaning "calmed down, reduced in intensity" is recorded from 1822.
subfusc: 1710, from Latin subfuscus, variant of suffuscus, from sub- (see sub-) + fusk (see obfuscate).
subhead (n.): "smaller heading or title in a book, chapter, newspaper, etc.," 1875, from sub- + head (n.) in the sense of "heading, headline."
subhuman (adj.): 1793, from sub- + human. The noun is first recorded 1957.
subjacent (adj.): 1590s, from Latin subiacentem (nominative subiacens), present participle of subiacere "to lie underneath" (see subject (n.)).
subject (n.): early 14c., "person under control or dominion of another," from Old French suget, subget "a subject person or thing" (12c.), from Latin subiectus, noun use of past participle of subicere "to place under," from sub "under" (see sub-) + combining form of iacere "to throw" (see jet (v.)). In 14c., sugges, sogetis, subgit, sugette; form re-Latinized in English 16c.

Meaning "person or thing that may be acted upon" is recorded from 1590s. Meaning "subject matter of an art or science" is attested from 1540s, probably short for subject matter (late 14c.), which is from Medieval Latin subjecta materia, a loan translation of Greek hypokeimene hyle (Aristotle), literally "that which lies beneath." Likewise some specific uses in logic and philosophy are borrowed directly from Latin subjectum "foundation or subject of a proposition," a loan-translation of Aristotle's to hypokeimenon. Grammatical sense is recorded from 1630s. The adjective is attested from early 14c.
subject (v.): late 14c., "to make (a person or nation) subject to another by force," also "to render submissive or dependent," from Latin subjectare, from the root of subject (n.). Meaning "to lay open or expose to (some force or occurrence)" is recorded from 1540s. Related: Subjected; subjecting.
subjectification (n.): 1880, noun of action from subjectify.
subjectify (v.): 1858, from subject + -ify. Related: Subjectified; subjectifying.
subjection (n.): mid-14c., from Old French subjection (12c.), from Latin subjectionem (nominative subjectio), noun of action from past participle stem of subicere (see subject (n.)).
subjective (adj.): mid-15c., "pertaining to a political subject" (now obsolete), from Late Latin subjectivus, from subjectus (see subject (n.)). Meaning "existing in the mind" (mind="the thinking subject") is from 1707; thus, "personal idiosyncratic" (1767). Related: Subjectively.
subjectivism (n.): 1857, from subjective + -ism.
subjectivity (n.): 1812, from subjective + -ity.
subjugate (v.): early 15c., from Latin subjugatus, past participle of subjugare (see subjugation). Related: Subjugated; subjugating.
subjugation (n.): late 14c., from Late Latin subjugationem (nominative subjugatio), from past participle stem of Latin subjugare "to subdue," literally "bring under a yoke," from sub "under" (see sub-) + jugum (see jugular).
subjugator (n.): 1834, agent noun in Latin form from subjugate.
subjunctive: 1520s, "mood employed to denote an action or state as conceived and not as a fact," from Late Latin subjunctivus "serving to join, connecting," from past participle stem of subjungere "to append, add at the end, place under," from sub "under" (see sub-) + jungere "to join" (see jugular). The Latin modus subjunctivus probably is a grammarians' loan-translation of Greek hypotaktike enklisis "subordinated," so called because the Greek subjunctive mood is used almost exclusively in subordinate clauses.
sublease: 1826 (n.); 1830s (v.); from sub- + lease. Related: Subleased; subleasing.
sublet (v.): 1766, from sub- + let (v.).
sublimate (v.): 1560s, from Latin sublimatus, past participle of sublimare (see sublimation). Related: Sublimated; sublimating.
sublimation (n.): late 14c., in alchemy, "process of purifying by heating into a vapor," from Medieval Latin sublimationem (nominative sublimatio) "refinement," literally "a lifting up, deliverance," from Latin sublimare "to raise, elevate," from sublimis "lofty" (see sublime). Psychological sense is first recorded 1910, probably influenced by subliminal.
sublime (adj.): 1580s, "expressing lofty ideas in an elevated manner," from Middle French sublime, from Latin sublimis "uplifted, high, lofty," possibly originally "sloping up to the lintel," from sub "up to" + limen "lintel."

The sublime (n.) "the sublime part of anything" is from 1670s. Sublime Porte, former title of the Ottoman government, is from French la Sublime Porte, literally "the high gate," a loan-translation of Arabic Bab 'Ali, title of the Ottoman court at Constantinople (cf. mikado).
subliminal (adj.): 1886, "below the threshold" (of consciousness), formed from sub "below" (see sub-) + Latin limen (genitive liminis) "threshold" (see limit (n.)).

Apparently a loan-translation of German unter der Schwelle (des Bewusstseins) "beneath the threshold (of consciousness)," from Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841), author of a textbook on psychology published in 1824. The scare over subliminal advertising came in 1957.
sublimity (n.): early 15c., "loftiness, exaltation, glory," from Latin sublimitatem (nominative sublimitas), from sublimis (see sublime).
sublingual (adj.): 1660s; see sub- + lingual.
sublunary (adj.): 1590s, from Modern Latin sublunaris, from sub- (see sub-) + lunaris (see lunar).
subluxation (n.): 1680s, from Latin subluxationem (nominative subluxatio).