"from a higher to a lower place, state, or condition," late 12c., from down (adv.) + -ward. As a preposition, "down," by late 14c. As an adjective, "moving or tending from a higher to a lwer place, state, or condition," from 1550s. As an adverb Old English had aduneweard. Downwards (c. 1200), with adverbial genitive, had a parallel in Old English ofduneweardes.
in medicine, "having the power to check, repress, or restrain; inhibitory," 1848, from Late Latin catastalticus, from Greek katastaltikos, from katastellein "to keep down, check," from kata "down" (see cata-) + stellein "arrange, set, place" (from PIE *stel-yo-, suffixed form of root *stel- "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place).
Middle English binethe, from Old English beneoðan "under, below, in a lower place, further down than," in late Old English "lower in rank, degree, excellence, etc.," from be- "by" + neoðan "below, down, from below," from Proto-Germanic *niþar "lower, farther down, down" (see nether).
The meaning "unworthy of" is attested from 1849 (purists prefer below in this sense). "The be- gave or emphasized the notion of 'where,' excluding that of 'whence' pertaining to the simple niðan" [OED].
"to assert, lay down as a position or principle," 1690s, from Latin positus "placed, situated, standing, planted," past participle of ponere "put, place" (see position (n.)). Earlier in a literal sense of "dispose, range, place in relation to other objects" (1640s). Related: Posited; positing.
late 14c., "dwelling, residing, having an abode in a place for a continuance of time," from Old French resident and directly from Latin residentem (nominative residens), present participle of residere "to sit down, settle" (see reside). From early 15c. as "stay in a place in discharge of some duty," originally ecclesiastical.
c. 1300, descenden, "move or pass from a higher to a lower place," from Old French descendre (10c.) "descend, dismount; fall into; originate in" and directly from Latin descendere "come down, descend, sink," from de "down" (see de-) + scandere "to climb," from PIE root *skand- "jump" (see scan (v.)).
Sense of "originate, proceed from a source or original" is late 14c. in English, as is that of "have a downward slope." Meaning "come down in a hostile manner, invade" is from early 15c. Related: Descended; descending.
c. 1300, "to remove from office, especially from royalty," from Old French deposer (12c.), from de- "down" (see de-) + poser "put, place" (see pose (v.1)). Meaning "testify to, attest," especially "give testimony on oath" is from early 15c.; sense of "take testimony from or examine under oath" is from 1560s. Literal sense of "lay down, let fall" (early 15c.) is obsolete. Related: Deposed; deposing.
mid-15c., originally in Latin grammar (of verbs passive in form but active in sense), from Latin deponentem "putting down or aside," present participle of deponere "lay aside, put down, deposit," also used of births and bets, from de "away" (see de-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position (n.)). As a noun, "a deponent verb," 1520s; as "one who makes a deposition," especially under oath, from 1540s.
late 14c., "act of dwelling in a place; one's dwelling place," from Old French residence, from Medieval Latin residentia (source also of Spanish residencia, Italian residenza), from Latin residentem (nominative residens) "residing, dwelling," present participle of residere "to settle, linger, sit down" (see reside).
Meaning "fact of having one's usual abode in a particular place" is from late 15c. The sense of "a staying in some place for the discharge of special duties or one's occupation" is also from late 14c., originally ecclesiastical, extended 19c. to professors, artists, poets, etc. The expression _____-in-residence is attested by 1954. Also borrowed into German (Residenz), Dutch (residentie).
