English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
Login Flashcards

"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

unsay
Origin
From Middle English unseyen, unseien, from Old English onseċġan (“to deny, renounce”), from Proto-West Germanic *andasaggjan (“to unsay, renounce, deny”), equivalent to un- + say. Cognate with Dutch ontzeggen (“to deny”), German entsagen (“to renounce, abjure”).
unscathed
Origin
From un- ("not") plus scathed, from scathe, "to injure or harm."
unscheduled
Origin
From un- ("not") plus scheduled.
unschooled
Origin
From un- + schooled.
unscramble
English
From un- 'reverse the action of' plus scramble.
unscrambler
Origin
From unscramble + -er.
unscrew
Origin
From un- ("reverse of") plus screw.
unscrupulous
Origin
From un- ("not") plus scrupulous, "having scruples or moral care."
unsealed
Origin
From un- ("not") plus sealed.
unseasonable
Origin
From Middle English unseasonable, unsesonable, equivalent to un- + seasonable.
unsecured
Origin
From un- ("not") plus secured.
unseemly
Middle English
From Middle English unsemli, from un- plus seemly, "fitting or proper."
unseen
Old English
From Old English unġesewen, from un- plus seen.
unselfconscious
Origin
From un- + selfconscious.
unselfish
Origin
From un- ("not") plus selfish.
unsequestered
Origin
From un- + sequestered.
Unser
Origin
* As a south German surname, from the adjective sehr (“wounded, injured”) with the prefix un-. * As a north German surname, from the small town Unsen in Hameln.
unsettled
Origin
From un- ("not") plus settled.
unsettling
Origin
From un- plus settling, the present participle of settle.
unsexy
Origin
From un- + sexy.
unshakable
Origin
From un- ("not") plus shake plus -able.
unsheathe
Origin
From un- + sheathe.
unshelled
Origin
From un- + shelled.
unshod
Origin
Inherited from Middle English unshod, unschod from Old English unsċōd, equivalent to un- + shod.
unshot
Origin
From un- + shot.
unsmart
Origin
From un- + smart.
unsmiling
Origin
From un- + smiling.
unsociable
Origin
From un- + sociable.
unsoiled
Origin
From un- + soiled.
unsolve
Origin
From un- + solve.
unsophisticate
Origin
From un- + sophisticate.
unsophisticated
Origin
From un- + sophisticated.
unspeakable
Middle English
From Middle English unspekable, equivalent to un- + speakable.
unspeaking
Origin
From un- + speaking.
unspecific
Origin
From un- + specific.
unspeedy
Origin
From un- + speedy.
unspell
Origin
From un- + spell.
unsplittable
Origin
From un- + splittable.
unspottable
Origin
From un- + spottable.
unsprung
Origin
From un- + sprung.
unstable
Middle English
From Middle English unstable; equivalent to un- (not) + stable.
unstaffed
Origin
From un- + staffed.
unstated
Origin
From un- + stated.
unstay
Origin
From un- + stay.
unsteadfast
Origin
Inherited from Middle English unstedefast, from Old English unstædefast; equivalent to un- + steadfast.
unsteady
Origin
From un- + steady. Like steady, the word first appeared in English around 1530. The word is comparable to Old Frisian onstedich, Low German unstadig, etc.
unstinting
Origin
From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + stint (“to be mean or sparing”) + -ing (suffix forming present participles of verbs), or un- + stinting (“mean, sparing”). Stint is derived from Middle English stinten, from Old English styntan (“to make blunt”) and *stintan (attested in āstintan (“to assuage; to make dull; to stint”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stuntijan (“to make dull; to shorten”), from Proto-Germanic *stuntijaną (“to make dull; to shorten”) and Proto-Germanic *stintaną (“to make short”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd- (“to hit; to push”), probably influenced by Old Norse *stynta, stytta (“to make short, shorten”).
unstow
Origin
From un- + stow.