unloaded
Meaning
(of a vehicle, ship, or container) having had its contents removed.
(of a firearm) not containing ammunition.
(of a person or situation) free from a burden or pressure.
Structure
Usage
the unloaded truck was much easier to drive.
always check that a gun is unloaded before cleaning it.
after submitting the final report, she felt completely unloaded.
Etymology
the word 'unloaded' is built upon the old english noun lād, which originally meant a journey or a course, and by extension, the burden carried on such a journey. the verb 'load' evolved from this, meaning to put a burden or cargo onto something. the prefix 'un-', a prolific negator in english, is attached to the past participle form 'loaded' to create an adjective. thus, the literal morphemic construction "not in a state of having been burdened" logically yields the modern meanings of being emptied of contents, free of ammunition, or relieved of pressure.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english un-) meaning "not," serving a negating function. - load: a root of germanic origin (old english lād meaning "way, course, carrying") serving as the core semantic element. - ed: a suffix of germanic origin (old english -od, -ad) used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns, indicating a state or condition.