underlie

[ uhn-der-lahy ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈlaɪ /

to lie under or beneath; be situated under.

to be at the basis of; form the foundation of.

Grammar. to function as the root morpheme or original or basic form of (a derived form): The form “boy” underlies “boyish.”

Finance. to be primary to another right or security.

Origin of underlie

before 900; Middle English underlyen (v.), Old English underlicgan. See under-, lie²

Some traditional fact must (as Dr. Jol says) have underlain the rendering "of desolation" for "of the desolator."

The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Daniel |F. W. Farrar
In the Nova Scotia field, out of seventy-six distinct coal seams, twenty are underlain by old forest grounds.

The Elements of Geology |William Harmon Norton
Its remarkable success has been due solely to the unselfish spirit of service which has underlain it.

The War Romance of the Salvation Army |Evangeline Booth and Grace Livingston Hill
This material is underlain by a subsoil of yellow silt loam slightly heavier than the soil.

History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia |James W. Head

Soils containing considerable calcium or underlain with limestone are well adapted to the growing of the crop.

The Vegetable Garden |Anonymous

underlie

/ (ˌʌndəˈlaɪ) /

to lie or be placed under or beneath

to be the foundation, cause, or basis of careful planning underlies all our decisions

finance to take priority over (another claim, liability, mortgage, etc) a first mortgage underlies a second

to be the root or stem from which (a word) is derived "happy" underlies "happiest"

underlier, noun