lower
UK[ˈləʊə(r)]US[ˈloʊər]
v
to move something down or make it less high
v
to reduce something in amount, degree, or quality
adj
comparative form of 'low'; at or below a normal or expected level
Morpheme Breakdown
low
er
low
not high
er
comparative suffix
Etymology
The word 'lower' is a transparent comparative formation from the base adjective 'low'. The root 'low' itself has a complex history, originating from Old Norse 'lágr', meaning 'low, short, humble', which displaced the related Old English term. The comparative suffix '-er' is a native English grammatical element used to indicate a greater degree of a quality. Thus, the literal construction 'low-er' directly means 'more low'. Over time, the verb senses developed from the idea of causing something to become 'more low' in position, value, or intensity, demonstrating a clear semantic progression from the comparative form to an action.
Analysis
Structure: low (not high) + er (comparative suffix)
- low: From Old English 'hlāw', 'hlēo' (hill, mound), later influenced by Old Norse 'lágr' (low). In this word, it functions as the base adjective meaning 'not high'.
- er: From Old English '-ra', a comparative suffix used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs.
Examples
They had to lower the bridge to let the tall ship pass.
The company decided to lower its prices to attract more customers.
Please lower your voice while in the library.