Main Entry: ¹sub·al·tern

Pronunciation: \sə-ˈbȯl-tərn, especially British ˈsə-bəl-tərn\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub- + alternus alternate, from alter other (of two) — more at alter

Date: 1570

1 : particular with reference to a related universal proposition <“some S is P” is a subaltern proposition to “all S is P”>
2 : subordinate