unremarkable
Meaning
not particularly interesting or surprising; ordinary.
Structure
Usage
the landscape was flat and unremarkable for miles.
he gave a competent but ultimately unremarkable performance.
the test results were unremarkable, showing no signs of abnormality.
Etymology
The word "unremarkable" is a Modern English formation built upon the older adjective "remarkable". Its core, "remark", entered English from the French remarquer, itself derived from the Latin re- (expressing intensive force) and marcare ("to mark"). The suffix "-able" of Latin origin attaches to verbs to denote a quality. The prefix "un-", of Germanic origin, is a prolific negator in English. Therefore, the literal construction "not capable of being noticed again" evolved logically into its current meaning of being ordinary or not worthy of special attention, perfectly capturing the concept of something that fails to stand out.
Analysis
un- (old english, a prefix meaning "not"); remark (from latin re- "again" + marcare "to mark", meaning "to notice"); -able (latin suffix -abilis, forming adjectives meaning "capable of, worthy of").