Word of the Day: SUPINE
Inactive or inert
supine (adj) - lying on one’s back, looking or facing upward; passive, lazy, or indifferent [soo-pahyn]
BREAKDOWN: SUP- (under) + -INE (state of)
supination is the rotation of the palms of the hands or soles of the feet upward
See also: supple
“There is no calamity which a great nation can invite which equals that which follows a supine submission to wrong and injustice and the consequent loss of national self-respect and honor, beneath which are shielded and defended a people’s safety and greatness.” —Grover Cleveland
The connection between SUP- (under) and the 'lying face-up' meaning is such a vivid example of spatial etymology — being under something, with your face turned upward. And that semantic drift from a physical position to moral weakness ('supine indifference') is fascinating.
The Grover Cleveland quote captures it perfectly. There's something uniquely passive about lying on your back — exposed, defenseless, unable to act. The body position became a metaphor for civic surrender.