unpleasantly
unpleasantly
UK[ʌnˈplezntli]US[ʌnˈplezntli]
adv
in a way that causes discomfort, dislike, or annoyance.
Morpheme Breakdown
un
pleasant
ly
un
not
pleasant
pleasing
ly
in a manner of
Etymology
the word "unpleasantly" is a layered construction in english. its core is the adjective "pleasant," which entered english via old french from the latin verb placēre, meaning "to please." the prefix "un-," a prolific negator from old english, is attached to reverse the meaning, creating "unpleasant" to describe something not pleasing. finally, the old english adverbial suffix "-ly" is added to form the adverb, describing the manner in which an action is performed in a not-pleasing way. this word exemplifies the analytic capacity of english to build complex, nuanced meanings through the sequential combination of germanic and romance elements.
Analysis
Structure: un (not) + pleasant (pleasing) + ly (in a manner of)
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english un-), meaning "not," used to form negatives.
- pleasant: an adjective of old french and latin origin (old french plaisant, from latin placēre "to please"), meaning "giving a sense of enjoyment or satisfaction."
- ly: a suffix of old english origin (-līce), used to form adverbs from adjectives, meaning "in a specified manner."
Examples
the medicine tasted unpleasantly bitter.
he was unpleasantly surprised by the sudden bill.
the room was unpleasantly hot and stuffy.