unmarried
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Meaning
not married; having no spouse.
Structure
Usage
she remained unmarried and focused on her career.
the tax form has a box for "unmarried" status.
in the story, the unmarried aunt was the most adventurous character.
Etymology
The word "unmarried" is a straightforward English formation built from the native Germanic negative prefix "un-" attached to the adjective "married." The core concept of marriage entered English via the Old French marier, which traces back to the Latin marītus, meaning "husband" or "wedded." The literal, morphemic logic of "unmarried" is therefore transparent: "not wedded." This construction follows a common pattern in English where the Old English prefix "un-" is freely combined with adjectives of both Germanic and Romance origins to create their opposites, demonstrating the hybrid nature of the English lexicon.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," serving a negating function. - married: an adjective of latin origin (via old french) from latin marītāre "to wed," derived from marītus "husband." it functions as the core descriptive element.