unobstructed
Meaning
not blocked or prevented from moving or acting freely; clear of obstacles.
(of a view or path) free from any impediment to sight or progress.
Structure
Usage
the large windows provide an unobstructed view of the mountains.
emergency exits must be kept unobstructed at all times.
with the roadblocks removed, traffic flow was once again unobstructed.
Etymology
The word "unobstructed" is a layered construction built upon the Latin verb struere, "to build." The prefix ob-, meaning "against," was added to form obstruere, "to build against," which evolved into the English verb "obstruct," meaning to block or hinder by placing an obstacle. The English adjectival suffix -ed was then applied to create "obstructed," describing a state of being blocked. Finally, the Old English negative prefix un- was prefixed to negate the state, resulting in "unobstructed," which literally means "not built against" and conveys the modern sense of being clear, open, and free from impediment.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - ob: a latin prefix meaning "against, toward, in the way of." - struct: from latin structus, the past participle stem of struere, meaning "to pile up, build, assemble." - ed: an english suffix (old english) used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns, indicating a state or condition.