Subicit

Subicit is a Latin verb form meaning “he places under” or “he subjects.” It is the third person singular present active indicative of subicere, a compound verb formed from sub- “under” and icere (to throw). The sense extends from a literal action of throwing something underneath to more figurative uses such as placing something under someone’s authority or submitting it for consideration.

The verb belongs to the Latin third-conjugation -io class. Its present active indicative forms are subicio, subicis, subicit, subicimus, subicitis, subiciunt; the imperative is subice. The supine of the verb is subiectum, which yields the noun subiectum “that which is placed under,” and from which English derivatives such as subject and subjection ultimately arise.

Usage in classical Latin covers both literal and figurative fields. In a physical sense, one can say someone “places under” another object or authority, and in legal, military, or rhetorical contexts the sense often shifts to “to subject to,” “to bring under control,” or “to submit (a matter) for consideration” (for example, causam/rationes could be subici to a judge or audience). The form subicit specifically marks the subject as performing the act in the present.

Subicere and its derivatives have influenced English vocabulary, notably the noun and verb related to subject and subjection, both tracing back to the Latin concept of placing under or bringing under consideration.

See also: subicere, subject, subiectum, Latin grammar.