suppose

suppose
[14] Latin suppōnere meant literally ‘put under’ (it was a compound verb formed from the prefix sub- ‘under’ and pōnere ‘put, place’, source of English position, and its original meaning is best preserved in English suppository [14], literally ‘something placed underneath’). From it was derived the noun suppositiō, which, on the analogy of Greek hupóthesis (source of English hypothesis [16], and itself made up of elements meaning literally ‘under’ and ‘put’), came to be used for an ‘assumption’ – English gets supposition [15] from it. This meaning then fed back into the verb, which English acquired via Old French supposer. => POSITION, SUPPOSITORY
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   If you suppose something, you effectively substitute a possibility for a reality. Hence the origin of the word in Latin supponere, 'to substitute,' literally 'to place under,' from sub, 'under' (here in the sense 'from below'), and ponere, 'to place.'

The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • supposé — supposé, ée [ sypoze ] adj. • attesté XVIIe; de supposer 1 ♦ Admis comme hypothèse. Considéré comme probable. Le nombre supposé des victimes. L auteur supposé du vol. ⇒ présumé. Père supposé. ⇒ putatif. L auteur supposé d un livre. ⇒ prétendu. 2… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • supposé — supposé, ée (su pô zé, zée) part. passé de supposer. 1°   Posé pour hypothèse. Ce fait supposé vrai.    Cela supposé, dans cette supposition.    Supposé (invariable), en supposant. •   Je montre aux premiers que, supposé l exemple des saints,… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • suppose — [sə pōz′] vt. supposed, supposing [ME supposen < MFr supposer, to suppose, imagine, altered (infl. by poser: see POSE1) < ML supponere, to suppose, assume < L, to put under, substitute < sub ,SUB + ponere: see POSITION] 1. to assume… …   English World dictionary

  • Suppose — Sup*pose , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Supposed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Supposing}.] [F. supposer; pref. sub under + poser to place; corresponding in meaning to L. supponere, suppositum, to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit. See {Pose}.] 1. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Suppose — Sup*pose , n. Supposition. [Obs.] Shak. A base suppose that he is honest. Dryden. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • suppose — suppose, supposing Both words are used as quasi conjunctions to introduce an assumption or hypothesis: • Suppose the guards were more alert, security measures more effective R. Ludlum, 1978 • Supposing there s a change of venue CNN news… …   Modern English usage

  • suppose — [v1] assume, guess accept, admit, brainstorm, calculate, conjecture, cook up*, dare say*, deem, divine, dream, estimate, expect, figure, go out on a limb*, grant, guesstimate*, hazard a guess*, hypothesize, imagine, infer, judge, opine, posit,… …   New thesaurus

  • Suppose — Sup*pose , v. i. To make supposition; to think; to be of opinion. Acts ii. 15. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • suppose — I verb allude to, anticipate, assume, believe, be of the opinion, calculate, conceive, conclude, conjecture, consider, deduce, deduct, deem, estimate, expect, feel, gather, gauge, generalize, guess, hint, hypothesize, imagine, imply, infer,… …   Law dictionary

  • suppose — early 14c., to assume as the basis of argument, from O.Fr. supposer to assume, probably a replacement of *suppondre (influenced by O.Fr. poser put, place ), from L. supponere put or place under, from sub under + ponere put, place (see POSITION… …   Etymology dictionary

  • supposé — Supposé, [suppos]ée. part …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

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