Etymograph

English

subproblem

From sub- + problem.

A compound of sub- + problem

Proto-Indo-European *upó ‘up; from below’

Proto-Italic *supo ‘under’

Latin sub ‘under, beneath, below’

English sub-

Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw’

…

Ancient Greek πρόβλημα ‘anything thrown forward’

Latin problēma ‘problem’

Middle French probleme

Middle English probleme ‘a conundrum’

English problem

Today it means

noun A problem whose solution contributes to the solution of a larger problem.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “subproblem”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / subproblem

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