unopened
Meaning
Not opened; with the seal or fastening intact.
Structure
Usage
The letter remained unopened on the table for days.
She received an unopened box of vintage records.
Please return any unopened merchandise for a full refund.
Etymology
The word 'unopened' is a straightforward English formation built upon the core verb 'open,' which originates from the Old English openian, itself derived from the adjective open meaning "not closed." The Old English negative prefix un-, a common and prolific morpheme in Germanic languages, is attached to the past participle form 'opened' to create a new adjective. The resulting compound directly and logically signifies the state of not having been opened, preserving the original physical sense of the root while applying a simple grammatical negation. This transparent construction exemplifies the analytical nature of English word formation.
Analysis
- un: A prefix of Germanic origin (Old English un-), meaning "not." It functions as a negative particle. - open: The root verb from Old English openian, meaning "to open, disclose." It functions as the core semantic element. - ed: A suffix from Old English -od, -ad, used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns, indicating a state or condition.