The word is a modern English formation built upon the core Latin verb comprehendere, which literally meant "to seize or grasp together." This physical sense evolved metaphorically in Latin to mean "to understand," a conceptual grasping. The negative prefix un-, of ancient Germanic lineage, was attached to its present participle form "comprehending" to create the adjective "uncomprehending," signifying "not understanding." Finally, the adverbial suffix -ingly was appended, following a productive English pattern, to describe the manner of an action done without understanding. Thus, the word's logic moves from a concrete Latin root for grasping, through a Germanic negation, to an abstract adverbial form describing a state of non-comprehension.

Structure: un (not) + comprehend (understand) + ingly (adverb suffix) - un: A prefix of Germanic origin (Old English un-), meaning "not." It functions as a negative particle. - comprehend: A verb of Latin origin (comprehendere, "to seize, grasp, understand"). It functions as the core lexical root. - ingly: A suffix of Germanic origin (Old English -lice, via -ing + -ly), forming adverbs from present participles.