English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

"U" Word Origins

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

“U” Word Origins

From unravel + -able.

The past participle of unravel, formed by adding -ed.

From unravel + -er.

From unravel + -ment.

From un- ("not") plus reachable.

From un- ("not") plus readable.

From Middle English unredy, equivalent to un- + ready. Compare Dutch ongereed and onbereid, German unbereit, Swedish oberedd.

From un- ("not") plus real.

From un- ("not") plus realistic.

From Middle English unresonable, from un- plus reasonable.

From Middle English unresonably, equivalent to unreasonable + -ly, after resonably (whence reasonably) and (originally) Late Latin irratiōnābiliter.

From un- ("not") plus recognizable.

From un- + register.

From un- ("not") plus registered.

From un- ("not") plus related.

From un- ("not") plus relenting, the present participle of relent, "to soften or yield."

From un- ("not") plus reliable.

From un- ("not") plus remarkable.

un- + remitting, from remit (in now rare sense of “diminish, abate”), from Middle English remitten, from Latin remittere (“to send, send back”). Compare Old French remettre, remetre, remitter. Not from nonexistent unremit. First attested in 1728.

From un- + repentance.

From un- ("not") plus requited, from requite, "to repay or return in kind."

From un- + reserved.

From un- + resisting.

From un- ("not") plus resolved.

From un- + respectable.

From un- ("not") plus responsive.

From Middle English unreste, from un- plus rest — literally "a lack of rest."

From un- ("not") plus restrained.

From un- ("not") plus restricted.

From un- + resuscitable.

From un- + riddle.

From Old English unrīpe. Equivalent to un- + ripe.

From un- + ripened.

From un- ("not") plus romantic.

From un- + ruffled.

From un- + rulable.

From un- + ruled.

From Middle English unruly, from un- plus rule plus -ly — literally "not following rule."

From un- + sacred.

From un- ("not") plus safe.

From un- ("not") plus said.

From un- + sanctified.

From un- + sane.

From un- ("not") plus sanitary.

From un- + sanity.

From un- ("not") plus satisfactory.

From un- ("not") plus satisfied.

From un- ("not") plus savory, "having a pleasant taste."