unter

Unter is a core German preposition and a productive prefix meaning "under" or "below." As a preposition it governs case according to its use: with the dative to indicate location (wo? unter dem Tisch) and with the accusative to indicate direction or movement (wohin? unter den Tisch). It also appears in figurative senses, such as being part of a group or category (unter Freunden, unter uns).

In addition to its spatial use, unter is common in numerical and idiomatic expressions. When indicating quantities below a certain threshold, it typically takes the dative plural: unter drei Personen, unter zwei Jahren. It also features in expressions like unter anderem (among other things) and unter uns (between us), where it conveys inclusivity within a set or a private context.

As a prefix, unter- is highly productive in forming verbs, adjectives, and nouns. It conveys notions of beneath, subordinate, or secondary. Examples include untergehen (to go under or to set, as a sun), unterrichten (to instruct), unterbrechen (to interrupt), und unternehmen (to undertake). The prefix also yields nouns such as Unterlage (document, basis) and Unterordnung (subordination), and it contributes to terms like Unterwelt (underground world) and Unternehmen (enterprise, company, derived historically from the verb unternehmen).

Etymologically, under is a Germanic preposition with roots in Old High German under and Proto-Germanic *under-, cognate with the English word under. It is one of the most versatile elements in German, functioning across literal, figurative, and lexical-derivational uses.