Etymology dictionary

unalloyed (adj.) — unchurched (adj.)

unalloyed (adj.)

1670s (figurative); 1760s (literal), from un- (1) "not" + past participle of alloy (v.).

unaltered (adj.)

1550s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of alter (v.).

unalterable (adj.)

1610s, from un- (1) "not" + alterable. Related: Unalterably.

unambiguous (adj.)

1630s, from un- (1) "not" + ambiguous. Related: Unambiguously; unambiguousness.

un-American (adj.)

"not characteristic of American principles or methods, foreign to U.S. customs," 1818, from un- (1) "not" + American (adj.).

unanimous (adj.)

1610s, from Latin unanimus "of one mind, in union," from unus "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique") + animus "mind, spirit" (see animus). Related: Unanimously.

unanimity (n.)

mid-15c., from Old French unanimite (14c.), from Late Latin unanimitatem (nominative unanimitas) "unanimity, concord," from unanimus (see unanimous).

unannounced (adj.)

1775, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of announce (v.).

unanswered (adj.)

late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of answer (v.).

unanswerable (adj.)

1610s, "admitting of no answer," from un- (1) "not" + answerable.

unanticipated (adj.)

1741, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of anticipate (v.).

unapologetic (adj.)

1834, from un- (1) "not" + apologetic. Related: Unapologetically.

unappeasable (adj.)

1560s, from un- (1) "not" + appeasable. Related: Unappeasably.

unappreciated (adj.)

1809, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of appreciate (v.).

unappreciative (adj.)

1834, from un- (1) "not" + appreciative. Related: Unappreciatively; unappreciativeness. Inappreciative is from 1849.

unapprehended (adj.)

1590s, "not understood;" 1610s, "not taken or arrested," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of apprehend (v.).

unapproachable (adj.)

1580s, of places, from un- (1) "not" + approachable. Of persons, "distant, aloof," attested from 1848. Related: Unapproachably.

unapproved (adj.)

early 15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of approve (v.).

unary (adj.)

1923, from Latin unus "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique") on model of binary, etc.

c. 1300, "with armor removed," from un- (1) "not" + armed, or else past-participle adjective from unarm "strip of armor" (c. 1300), from un- (2) "opposite of" + arm (v.). Meaning "not fitted to attack, weaponless" is from late 14c.

unashamed (adj.)

c. 1500, implied in unashamedness, from un- (1) "not" + ashamed. Related: Unashamedly.

unasked (adj.)

mid-13c., "uninvited," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of ask (v.). Old English had ungeaxod.

unaspiring (adj.)

1680s, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of aspire (v.).

unassailable (adj.)

1590s, from un- (1) "not" + assailable (see assail (v.)). Related: Unassailably.

unassimilated (adj.)

1748, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of assimilate (v.).

unassisted (adj.)

1610s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of assist (v.). Related: Unassistedly.

unassuming (adj.)

"unpretentious, modest," 1726, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of assume (v.). Related: Unassumingly.

unattached (adj.)

late 15c., "not arrested or seized," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of attach (v.). Meaning "not associated with any body or institution" is recorded from 1796; sense of "single, not engaged or married" is first attested 1874.

unattainable (adj.)

1660s, from un- (1) "not" + attainable.

unattended (adj.)

c. 1600, "alone, unaccompanied," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of attend (v.). Meaning "with no one in attendance" is from 1796.

unattested (adj.)

1660s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of attest (v.).

unattractive (adj.)

1729, from un- (1) "not" + attractive. Related: Unattractively; unattractiveness.

unauthorized (adj.)

1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of authorize (v.).

unavailing (adj.)

"ineffectual, useless," 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + availing. Also see unavailable.

unavailability (n.)

1855, from un- (2) "opposite of" + availability, or else from unavailable + -ity.

unavailable (adj.)

1540s, "ineffectual," from un- (1) "not" + available. Meaning "incapable of being used" is recorded from 1855. Unavailing has taken up the older sense of the word.

unavoidable (adj.)

mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + avoidable. Related: Unavoidably.

unawares (adv.)

1530s, "without being aware," from un- (1) "not" + aware + adverbial genitive -s. Meaning "without being noticed" is recorded from 1660s. Form unaware is recorded from 1590s.

unaware (adj.)

1590a; see unawares.

unbalance (v.)

1856, from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + balance (v.).

unbalanced (adj.)

1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of balance (v.). Earliest use is in reference to the mind, judgment, etc. Of material things, it is recorded from 1732.

unbar (v.)

late 14c., from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + bar (v.). Related: Unbarred; unbarring.

unbearable (adj.)

mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + bearable. Related: Unbearably. Old English had unberendlic.

unbeatable (adj.)

1897, from un- (1) "not" + beatable.

unbeaten (adj.)

late 13c., "not beaten or struck," from un- (1) + beaten. In the sense of "undefeated" it is attested by 1757. Old English had ungebeaten "unwrought, unstruck."

unbecoming (adj.)

1590s, from un- (1) "not" + becoming "fitting." Related: Unbecomingly.

unbefitting (adj.)

1580s, from un- (1) "not" + befitting.

unbefriended (adj.)

from un- (1) "not" + past participle of befriend (v.).

unbegotten (adj.)

1530s, from un- (1) "not" + begotten.

unbegun (adj.)

Old English unbegunnen; see un- (1) "not" + begun.

unbeknown (adj.)

"unknown," 1630s, from un- (1) "not" + beknown (see beknow).

unbeknownst (adj.)

1833, vulgar formation from unbeknown (1630s). No clear reason for the -st, but since 19c. this has become the dominant form.

unbelief (n.)

mid-12c., "absence or lack of religious belief; disbelief of the truth of the Gospel," from un- (1) "not" or un- (2) "opposite of" + belief. Old English had ungeleafa in this sense.

unbelievable (adj.)

1540s, from un- (1) "not" + believable. Related: Unbelievably.

unbeliever (n.)

"one who does not believe in any given religion," 1520s, from un- (1) "not" believer. Old English had ungelifend in this sense.

unbend (v.)

mid-13c., "relax a bow by unstringing it," from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + bend (v.). Intransitive sense from 1746. Figurative meaning "to become genial, relax" (1748) has a sense opposite to that of unbending "inflexible, obstinate" (1680s), which does not derive from the bow-stringing image.

unbeseeming (adj.)

1580s, "not befitting, inappropriate, unsuitable," from un- (1) "not" + beseeming. A common 17c. word.

unbesought (adj.)

1660s, from un- (1) "not" + besought.

unbias (v.)

"to free from bias," 1708, from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + bias (v.).

unbiased (adj.)

c. 1600, literal, in reference to throws at bowls, from un- (1) "not" + biased. Figurative sense of "impartial, unprejudiced" is recorded from 1640s.

unbidden (adj.)

Old English unbedene, "not asked or invited," from un- (1) "not" + bidden. Similar formation in Middle Dutch ongebeden, German ungebeten, Old Norse ubeðinn.

unbind (v.)

Old English unbindan, "to free from binding," from un- (2) "opposite of, reverse" + bind (v.). Similar formation in Old Frisian unbinda, German entbinden, Dutch ontbinden. Literal and figurative senses both present in Old English.

Unbound is from Old English unbunden, in literal sense. Figurative sense first attested late 14c.; of books from 1540s.

unbleached (adj.)

1530s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of bleach (v.).

unblemished (adj.)

c. 1300, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of blemish (v.). Originally in moral sense; material sense is attested from mid-15c.

unblown (adj.)

"not yet bloomed," 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of blow (v.2).

unborn (adj.)

Old English unboren "not yet born; stillborn," from un- (1) "not" + born. Similar formation in Old Frisian unbern, Dutch ongeboren, Old High German ungiporan, German ungeboren.

unbosom (v.)

"disclose in confidence" (secret opinions or feelings), 1580s, from un- (1) + bosom.

unbounded (adj.)

1590s, "not limited in extent," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of bound (v.1). Sense of "generous, profuse, liberal" is recorded from 1704. Related: Unboundedness.

unbowed (adj.)

late 14c., "not bent," also figuratively "not subdued," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of bow (v.).

unbreakable (adj.)

late 15c.; see un- (1) "not" + breakable.

unbridled (adj.)

late 14c., originally in figurative sense of "unrestrained, ungoverned," from un- (1) "not" + bridled (see bridle (v.)). Similar formation in Middle Dutch ongebreidelt. Literal sense of "not fitted with a bridle" (of horses) is not recorded before 1550s. The verb unbridle (see un- (2)) is attested from c. 1400 in the literal sense; mid-15c. in the figurative sense.

un-British (adj.)

1746, from un- (1) "not" + British.

unbroken (adj.)

c. 1300, in reference to vows or compacts, from un- (1) "not" + broken. Attested from late 15c. in reference to material things; 1510s in reference to courage, spirit, etc.; 1530s in reference to horses; 1560s in reference to the flow of time. Old English had ungebrocen.

unbuckle (v.)

late 14c., from un- (2) "reverse of" + buckle (v.1). Related: Unbuckled; unbuckling.

unburden (v.)

1530s, "to unload" (transitive), from un- (2) "reverse of" + burden (v.). Similar formation in German entbürden. Reflexive sense is recorded from 1580s. Related: Unburdened; unburdening.

unburied (adj.)

Old English unbyrged "unburied," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of bury (v.).

unbutton (v.)

early 14c., from un- (2) "opposite of" + button (v.). Related: Unbuttoned; unbuttoning.

uncalled (adj.)

c. 1400, "not summoned," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of call (v.). Similar formation in Swedish okallad, Danish ukaldet. With for and sense of "unnecessary, intrusive" it is first attested 1610.

uncancelled (adj.)

1550s, from un- "not" + past-participle adjective from cancel (v.).

uncanny (adj.)

1590s, in a now-obsolete meaning "mischievous, malicious;" also in 17c., "careless, incautious; unreliable, not to be trusted," from un- (1) "not" + canny (q.v.) in its old Scots and Northern English sense of "skillful, prudent, lucky" (it is a doublet of cunning).

Canny had also a sense of "superstitiously lucky; skilled in magic." In Wright's "English Dialect Dictionary" (1900) the first sense of uncanny as used in Scotland and the North is "awkward, unskilful; careless; imprudent; inconvenient." The second is "Unearthly, ghostly, dangerous from supernatural causes ; ominous, unlucky ; of a person : possessed of supernatural powers".

From 1773, uncanny appears in popular literature from the North (Robert Fergusson, Scott), with reference to persons and in a sense of "not quite safe to trust or deal with through association with the supernatural." By 1843 it had a general sense in English of "having a supernatural character, weird, mysterious, strange." (OED notes this as "Common from c 1850"; Borges considers it untranslatable but notes that German unheimlich answers to it.)

The Scottish writers also use it with the meanings "unpleasantly hard; dangerous, unsafe."