uninformative
Meaning
not providing useful or interesting information
Structure
Usage
the report was lengthy but ultimately uninformative, failing to address the key questions.
his vague and uninformative response only deepened our confusion about the project's status.
we found the documentary's analysis to be superficial and uninformative.
Etymology
The word 'uninformative' is a Modern English formation built upon the well-established adjective 'informative'. Its core, 'inform', originates from the Latin verb informare, which literally meant "to shape or give form to" the mind, thus evolving to mean "to instruct or impart knowledge." The suffix '-ative', also of Latin descent, is commonly attached to verb stems to create adjectives meaning "of or related to the action of the verb." Finally, the Old English prefix 'un-' is prefixed to negate the entire construction. Therefore, the literal morphemic journey leads to the modern meaning: "not having the quality of shaping knowledge or providing instruction."
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - inform: from latin informare meaning "to shape, give form to, train, instruct," from in- (into) + forma (form, shape). - ative: an adjective-forming suffix from latin -ativus, indicating a tendency, connection, or quality.