Online Etymology Dictionary

submarine (adj.): 1640s, from sub- + marine (adj.).
submarine (n.): "submarine boat," 1899, from submarine (adj.). The short form sub is first recorded 1917. Submarine sandwich (1955) so called from the shape of the roll.
submerge (v.): c.1600, from Latin submergere "to plunge under, sink, overwhelm," from sub "under" (see sub-) + mergere "to plunge, immerse" (see merge). Intransitive use is from 1650s, made common 20c. in connection with submarines. Related: Submerged; submerging.
submerse (v.): early 15c., from Latin submersus, past participle of submergere (see submerge). Related: Submersed; submersing.
submersible (adj.): 1866, from Latin submers-, past participle stem of submergere (see submerge) + -ible. As a noun, from 1900.
submersion (n.): early 15c., from Late Latin submersionem (nominative submersio), from past participle stem of submergere "to sink" (see submerge).
submission (n.): late 14c., "act of referring to a third party for judgment or decision," from Old French submission, from Latin submissionem (nominative submissio) "a lowering, sinking, yielding," noun of action from past participle stem of submittere "lower, reduce, yield" (see submit). Sense of "humble obedience" is first recorded mid-15c. Modern French submission has been replaced by doublet soumission.
submissive (adj.): 1580s, "inclined to submit," from Latin submiss-, past participle stem of submittere (see submission) + -ive. Masochistic sexual sense is attested by 1969. As a noun in this sense, by 1985. Related: Submissively; submissiveness.
submit (v.): late 14c., "to place (oneself) under the control of another," from Latin submittere "to yield, lower, let down, put under, reduce," from sub "under" (see sub-) + mittere "let go, send" (see mission). Sense of "refer to another for consideration" first recorded 1550s. Related: Submitted; submitting.
subnormal (adj.): 1890, from sub- + normal. The noun is from 1710 in geometry; 1916, of persons.
suboptimal (adj.): also sub-optimal, 1901, from sub- + optimal. Related: Suboptimally.
subordinate (adj.): mid-15c., from Medieval Latin subordinatus "placed in a lower order, made subject," past participle of subordinare "place in a lower order," from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + ordinare "arrange" (see ordain). Related: Subordinance; subordinant.
subordinate (v.): "to bring into a subordinate position," 1590s; see subordinate (adj.). Related: Subordinated; subordinating.
subordination (n.): mid-15c., subordinacioun "hierarchical arrangement," from Medieval Latin subordinationem (nominative subordinatio), noun of action from subordinatus (see subordinate (adj.)).
suborn (v.): "to procure by bribery, to lure (someone) to commit a crime," 1520s (implied in subornation), from Middle French suborner (13c.), from Latin subornare "suborn," originally "equip," from sub "under, secretly" (see sub-) + ornare "equip," related to ordo "order" (see order). Related: Suborned; suborning.
subpar (adj.): also sub-par, 1896, from sub- + par.
subplot (n.): also sub-plot, 1812 in literature, from sub- + plot (n.).
subpoena (n.): early 15c., sub pena, from Medieval Latin sub poena "under penalty," the first words of the writ commanding the presence of someone under penalty of failure, from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + poena, ablative of poena "penalty" (see penal). The verb is attested from 1630s.
subprime (adj.): also sub-prime, of loans, etc., by 1978, in frequent use from 1996, from sub- + prime (adj.).
subrogate (v.): 1530s, from Latin subrogatus, variant of surrogatus, past participle of surrogare/subrogare (see surrogate). Related: Subrogated; subrogating.
subrogation (n.): early 15c., from Latin subrogationem (nominative subrogatio), noun of action from past participle stem of subrogare (see subrogate).
subscribe (v.): early 15c., "to sign at the bottom of a document," from Latin subscribere "write underneath, sign one's name," from sub "underneath" (see sub-) + scribere "write" (see script). The meaning "give one's consent" first recorded 1540s; that of "contribute money to" 1630s; and that of "become a regular buyer of a publication" 1711, all originally literal. Related: Subscribed; subscribing.
subscriber (n.): 1590s, agent noun from subscribe.
subscript (n.): 1704, "that which is written underneath," from Latin subscriptus, past participle of subscribere "write underneath" (see subscribe for etymology and sense development).
subscription (n.): c.1400, "piece of writing at the end of a document," from Middle French subscription, from Latin subscriptionem (nominative subscriptio) "anything written underneath, a signature," noun of action from past participle stem of subscribere (see subscribe for etymology and sense development).
subsequence (n.): c.1500; see subsequent + -ence.
subsequent (adj.): mid-15c., from Middle French subséquent (14c.), from Latin subsequentem (nominative subsequens), present participle of subsequi "to follow closely," from sub "closely, up to" (see sub-) + sequi "follow." Related: Subsequently.
subservient (adj.): 1630s, "useful, serviceable," from Latin subservientem (nominative subserviens), present participle of subservire "assist, lend support," from sub "under" (see sub-) + servire "serve" (see serve). The meaning "slavishly obedient" is first recorded 1794.
subset (n.): "subordinate set," 1902, from sub- + set (n.).
subside (v.): 1680s, "to sink to the bottom," from Latin subsidere "settle, sink, sit down or remain," from sub "down" (see sub-) + sidere "to settle," related to sedere (see sedentary). Meaning "to sink to a lower level, be reduced" is from 1706. Related: Subsided; subsiding.
subsidiarity (n.): 1936, from German Subsidiarität, paraphrasing the Latin of Pius XI in his Quadragesimo Anno of 1931; see subsidiary + -ity.
Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. For every social activity ought of its very nature to furnish help to the members of the body social, and never destroy and absorb them. [Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931]
subsidiary (adj.): 1540s, from Middle French subsidiaire, from Latin subsidiarius "serving to assist or supplement," from subsidium "help, aid" (see subsidy).
subsidise (v.): chiefly British English spelling of subsidize. For suffix, see -ize. Related: Subsidised; subsidising.
subsidize (v.): 1795, from subsidy + -ize. Originally "to pay to hire" (mercenaries, foreign troops, etc.), also of nations, "to buy neutrality or alliance." Meaning "to bribe" is from 1815. Meaning "to support by grants of (often government) money" is from 1828. Related: Subsidized; subsidizing.
subsidy (n.): late 14c., from Anglo-French subsidie, from Old French subside "help, aid, contribution," from Latin subsidium "help, aid, assistance, (military) reinforcements," from sub "behind, near" (see sub-) + sedere "to sit" (see sedentary).
subsist (v.): 1540s, "to exist," from Latin subsistere "to stand still or firm," (see subsistence). Meaning "to support oneself" (in a certain way) is from 1640s. Related: Subsisted; subsisting.
subsistence (n.): early 15c., "existence, independence," from Late Latin subsistentia "substance, reality," from Latin subsistens, present participle of subsistere "stand still or firm," from sub "under, up to" (see sub-) + sistere "to assume a standing position," from stare "to stand" (see assist). Properly a loan-translation of Greek hypostasis "subsistence," literally "anything placed under." Meaning "provision of support for animal life" is from 1640s.
subsistent (adj.): 1520s, from Latin subsistentem (nominative subsistens), present participle of subsistere (see subsistence).
subsoil (n.): 1799, from sub- + soil (n.).
subspecies (n.): 1690s, from sub- + species.
substance (n.): c.1300, "essential nature," from Old French substance (12c.), from Latin substantia "being, essence, material," from substans, present participle of substare "stand firm, be under or present," from sub "up to, under" + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). A loan-translation of Greek hypostasis. Meaning "any kind of corporeal matter" is first attested mid-14c. Sense of "the matter of a study, discourse, etc." first recorded late 14c.
substandard (adj.): also sub-standard, 1909, from sub- + standard (adj.).
substantial (adj.): mid-14c., "ample, sizeable," from Old French substantiel (13c.), from Latin substantialis "having substance or reality, material," from substantia (see substance). Meaning "existing, having real existence" is from late 14c.
substantiate (v.): 1650s, "to make real, to give substance to," from Modern Latin substantiatus, past participle of substantiare, from Latin substantia (see substance). Meaning "to demonstrate or prove" is attested from 1803. Related: Substantiated; substantiating.
substantive (adj.): late 15c., "standing by itself," from Old French substantif, from Late Latin substantivum, neuter of Latin substantivus "of substance or being," from substantia (see substance). The grammatical term (late 14c.) was introduced by the French to denote the noun in contradistinction to the adjective, from Latin nomen substantivum "name or word of substance."
substation (n.): 1881, in the policing sense, from sub- + station (n.). Power grid sense is attested from 1901.
substitute (v.): early 15c. in transitive sense, 1888 as intransitive, from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere (see substitution). Related: Substituted; substituting.
substitute (n.): "one who acts in place of another," early 15c., from Old French substitute and directly from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere (see substitution). Team sports sense is from 1849.
substitution (n.): late 14c., "appointment of a subordinate or successor," from Middle French substitution, from Late Latin substitutionem (nominative substitutio) "a putting in place of another," from past participle stem of Latin substituere "put in place of another, place under or next to," from sub "under" (see sub-) + statuere "set up," from PIE root *sta- "to stand," with derivatives meaning "place or thing that is standing" (see stet).
substract (v.): "to subtract," 1540s, "now illiterate" [OED], from Modern Latin substractus, past participle of substrahere, alternative form of subtrahere (see subtraction). Related: Subtracted; subtracting.