unawares
Meaning
without being aware of or prepared for something
unexpectedly or by surprise
Structure
Usage
the sudden noise took him completely unawares.
she often catches her opponents unawares with her quick moves.
they had come upon the old ruin unawares, hidden deep in the forest.
Etymology
The word 'unawares' is a compound formed from the negative prefix 'un-' and the adjective 'aware', with the addition of the adverbial '-s' suffix. 'aware' itself originates from Old English 'gewær', meaning "watchful, cautious," a state of being informed or conscious. The '-s' suffix, common in forming adverbs from adjectives in Middle English, solidified its grammatical role. Thus, the literal construction "not in a state of being watchful or conscious" evolved to describe the modern abstract sense of acting or happening without prior knowledge or expectation.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of old english origin, meaning "not," used to form negatives. - aware: an adjective of old english origin, from the elements 'ge-' (intensive) + 'wær' (cautious, wary). - s: an adverbial suffix of middle english origin, added to adjectives to form adverbs (e.g., besides, towards).