The Spanish verb 'subir' (meaning 'to go up') comes from the Latin verb 'subire', which meant 'to go up from below'. The Latin word was formed by combining two elements: the prefix 'sub-' meaning 'from below, up' and the verb 'ire' meaning 'to go'. Over time, as Latin evolved into Spanish, 'subire' simplified to 'subir' while maintaining its core meaning of upward movement.

Many common Spanish words share the 'sub-' prefix, like 'submarino' (submarine, literally 'under the sea'), 'subterráneo' (underground), and 'subrayar' (to underline). While 'subir' developed to mean 'going up', these related words maintained the original 'under' meaning of the Latin prefix.

English has many words derived from the same Latin elements. The prefix 'sub-' appears in words like 'submarine', 'subway', and 'submerge'. While Spanish 'subir' evolved to mean 'going up', most English words with 'sub-' maintained the original 'under' meaning. The Latin 'ire' (to go) can be found in English words like 'exit' (to go out), 'transit' (to go across), and 'initial' (going in at the start).