unshaven
Meaning
(of a man) not having shaved recently; having short hairs growing on the face.
Structure
Usage
he looked tired and unshaven after the long flight.
the detective, unshaven and in a wrinkled coat, questioned the witnesses.
it's acceptable to be casually unshaven on the weekend.
Etymology
The word "unshaven" is a straightforward English compound formed by adding the native English negative prefix "un-" to the past participle "shaven". The verb "shave" itself has deep Germanic roots, deriving from the Old English sceafan, meaning to scrape or pare away, which is related to the Old Norse skafa and ultimately from the Proto-Germanic skabaną. The concept is linked to the action of removing hair by scraping it close to the skin. Therefore, "unshaven" literally and logically means "not having been scraped/shaved", directly describing the state of having facial hair that has not been recently removed.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not", forming a negative or opposite force. - shaven: the past participle form of the verb "shave", from old english sceafan (to scrape, shave).