uninfected
Meaning
Not having been contaminated with a disease-causing organism.
(of data or a computer system) Not affected by a virus or malware.
Structure
Usage
The patient remained uninfected despite the outbreak.
Ensure your software is updated to keep your computer uninfected.
A controlled environment is necessary to keep the sample uninfected.
Etymology
The word 'uninfected' is a modern English formation built upon the verb 'infect'. The core verb 'infect' entered English via Old French from Latin inficere, which literally meant "to put in, to dip, to stain," combining in- (into) and facere (to make). This evolved from a sense of physical staining to the metaphorical staining of health. The Germanic negative prefix 'un-' was then attached to create the opposite meaning. Finally, the past participle suffix '-ed' functions adjectivally to describe the state of not having undergone the process of infection. Thus, the word's logic transparently follows a path from "not made into (a stained/tainted state)."
Analysis
- un: A prefix of Germanic origin (Old English) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - infect: From Latin inficere (to stain, dye, taint), from in- (in, into) + facere (to make, do). In English, it means to contaminate with a disease-causing agent. - ed: A suffix of Germanic origin (Old English) used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns, indicating a state or condition.