Subject Means Thrown Under
A subject is a topic, a citizen of a monarchy, or the doer in a sentence. The Latin means placed beneath, which explains the political sense.
A subject is a topic, a person under a sovereign's authority, or the noun a verb agrees with. The Latin *subiectus* means thrown or placed under, which is unmistakable in the political sense: a subject is under a monarch, whereas a *citizen* stands in a relationship of rights. The grammar sense reverses the image: the subject sits on top of the sentence.==
- A topic. *The subject of the meeting.*
- A person under a sovereign. *A British subject.*
- The doer in a sentence. *Find the subject of the verb.*
- To force to undergo. *Subjected to checks.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | subject | A difficult subject. |
| Verb | subject | Subject to testing. |
| Adjective | subjective | A subjective view. |
| Noun | subjection | Subjection to rule. |
| Opposite | objective | An objective measure. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Let us change the subject.Topic.
- The offer is subject to contract.Conditional.
- They were subjected to long delays.Made to undergo.
Subject in different fields
- Grammar — the noun the verb agrees with
- Law and politics — a person owing allegiance to a sovereign
- Research — a person taking part in a study, now often participant
- Art — what a work depicts
- Email — the subject line, the most-read part of any message
From Latin *subiectus*, placed under, from *sub* and *iacere*, to throw — the same verb as in *project*, *reject* and *eject*.
Subject or citizen?
A subject owes allegiance to a monarch; a citizen holds rights in a state. Modern British nationality law uses citizen.
Where is the stress?
SUB-ject for the noun, sub-JECT for the verb, following the usual English pattern.