undue
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Meaning
excessive or unwarranted; more than is appropriate or deserved
not yet payable or owed
Structure
Usage
the panel concluded that the company had exerted undue influence over the regulatory process.
he faced undue hardship after losing his job and his home in the same month.
the payment is not undue until the end of the next billing cycle.
Etymology
The word 'undue' is a straightforward English formation combining the native negative prefix 'un-' with the adjective 'due'. The core term 'due' has a rich lineage, tracing back to the Latin verb 'debere', meaning "to owe", which itself is a compound of 'de-' (completely) and 'habere' (to have). Entering English via Old French, 'due' came to signify something that is owed, just, or proper. By prefixing 'un-', the word 'undue' was created to logically denote the opposite: something that is not owed, not proper, or exceeding what is just, thus giving rise to its modern meanings of being excessive or not yet payable.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of english origin, from old english 'un-', meaning "not". it functions as a negative or reversing particle. - due: from middle english 'dewe', from old french 'deu', past participle of 'devoir' (to owe), from latin 'debere' (to owe). it functions as the core adjective meaning "owed" or "appropriate".