unharmed
Meaning
not hurt or damaged; safe and without injury.
Structure
Usage
the passengers emerged from the crash completely unharmed.
the ancient artifact was discovered unharmed after centuries buried underground.
the firefighters worked tirelessly to ensure everyone got out of the building unharmed.
Etymology
The word "unharmed" is a straightforward English compound built from native Germanic elements. Its core, "harm," descends from the Old English hearm, which itself traces back to the Proto-Germanic harmaz, carrying the consistent sense of injury or grief. The prefix "un-," from Old English un-, is a prolific negator in English, directly inherited from Proto-Germanic un-. The suffix "-ed" is used here in its adjectival function, common in forming participial adjectives. Therefore, the literal construction "not-injured-in-state" perfectly and logically conveys its modern meaning of being free from damage or hurt.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," forming a negative or opposite force. - harm: a root of germanic origin (old english hearm) meaning "hurt, injury, damage." - ed: a suffix of germanic origin (old english -od, -ad) used to form adjectives from nouns or verbs, indicating a state or condition.