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 un- (\"not\") plus trustworthy.

Inherited from Middle English untreuth, from Old English untrēowþ and unġetrēowþ, from Proto-West Germanic *untriuwiþu and *ungatriuwiþu, equivalent to un- + truth. Cognate with Old High German ungitriuwida.

From un- + truthful. Compare Middle English untreuthfull, untrowþeful, wntreuthtfull (“unbelieving, infidel”).

From un- + tumultuous.

From un- (\"not\") plus turned.

From un- (\"not\") plus usable.

From un- (\"not\") plus used.

From un- (\"not\") plus usual.

From unusual plus -ly.

From unusual + -ness.

From un- + utopia.

From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + utterable.

From un- (\"not/reversal\") plus veil, ultimately from Latin velum (\"covering, sail\").

From un- plus veil plus -ed.

From un- + veracious.

From un- + vision + -ed.

From un- + waking.

From un- (\"not\") plus wanted.

From un- (\"not\") plus warranted (\"justified\").

From un- + wary. Compare Old English unwær (“unaware, unwary”) and unwærlīċ (“unwary, heedless”).

From un- (\"not\") plus washed.

From un- (\"not\") plus wavering (\"being indecisive\").

From un- (\"not\") plus wed.

From un- (\"not\") plus welcome.

From un- (\"not\") plus well.

From Middle English unholsom; equivalent to un- + wholesome.

From Middle English unweldy, equivalent to un- + wieldy. Cognate with Old Frisian unweldich, unweldech (“having no power, involuntary”), Middle Dutch onweldich (“having no control or mastery over”), Middle Low German unweldich (“unwieldy”). Compare also Old High German unwaltīg (“powerless”), whence Middle High German unwaltic, German ungewaltig (“powerless, unmighty”).

From un- (\"not\") plus willing.

From unwilling plus -ly.

From Old English unwindan, from un- (\"reversal\") plus wind (\"to coil\").

From Old English unwīs, from un- (\"not\") plus wise.

From Middle English vnwysely, vnwisely, vnwyseliche, from Old English unwīslīċe (“unwisely, foolish”), equivalent to un- + wisely.

From unwise + -ness.

From un- + witch.

unwithstandable

From un- + withstandable.

From Old English unwitende, from un- (\"not\") plus witting (\"knowing\").

From unwitting plus -ly.

From un- + wonderful.

From un- + wonted. Redundant in form, as wont is by itself historically the participle adjective. Largely displaced earlier unwont.

From un- + work.

From Middle English unworthy, from un- (\"not\") plus worthy.

From Middle English unwrappen, from un- (\"reversal\") plus wrap.

From Old English unwriten, from un- (\"not\") plus written.

From Middle English unwrought, unwroght, unwrouȝt, equivalent to un- + wrought. Doublet of unworked.

From un- (\"not\") plus yielding.

From un- (\"reversal\") plus zip.

From unzip + -ed.

From Old English upp, up, from Proto-Germanic *upp — one of the oldest and most basic words in the language, related to "over" and "above."