undated
Meaning
Not marked with or showing a date.
Structure
Usage
The letter was undated, making it difficult to place in the historical sequence.
Archaeologists found an undated manuscript among the ruins.
Please do not submit undated applications, as they will not be processed.
Etymology
The word "undated" is a straightforward English formation built upon the verb "date," which entered Middle English from Old French date and ultimately from Latin data, the feminine past participle of dare meaning "to give." In Medieval Latin, the phrase data Romae ("given at Rome") was used to note the time and place a document was issued, which is the origin of our modern concept of a calendar date. By adding the native English negative prefix "un-," meaning "not," the adjective "undated" logically describes something from which this specific information of when it was given or made has been omitted.
Analysis
- un: A prefix of Germanic origin (Old English) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - dated: The past participle of the verb "date," from Latin data (given), referring to the notation of a specific day or time.