Suburban
/səˈbɜːr.bən/noun
Relating to an outlying residential district of a city.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin suburbānus, built from sub- (“under, below”) + urbs (“city”), so the suburb was originally the city’s outer underside, not a lifestyle aesthetic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂erǵ-
“to fit together, make straight; the root behind Latin words for city-building and ordering space”
Latin
Latin
urbs
“a city, especially Rome”
Latin
Latin
suburbānus
“pertaining to the area near or under the city; suburban”
Old French
Old French
suburbain
“of or belonging to the outskirts of a city”
Middle English
English
suburbane
“pertaining to the outskirts of a city”
Modern English
English
suburban
“relating to a residential district on the edge of a city”