unwholesome
Meaning
not good for your health; harmful or unhealthy.
morally bad or harmful; suggesting something unpleasant or wrong.
Structure
Usage
the damp, musty air in the cellar had an unwholesome smell.
the film was criticized for its unwholesome portrayal of violence.
a diet consisting only of processed snacks is profoundly unwholesome.
Etymology
The word 'unwholesome' is a native English formation built from Germanic elements. Its core, 'whole,' originates from the Old English 'hāl,' which conveyed the ideas of being unhurt, sound in body, and complete—a concept also preserved in the related modern word 'health.' The suffix '-some' was added to create the adjective 'wholesome,' meaning "conducive to health or well-being." Finally, the negative prefix 'un-' was attached, directly inverting the meaning to "not conducive to health," a sense which expanded metaphorically to describe things considered morally or psychologically detrimental.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," serving a negating function. - whole: from old english 'hāl' meaning "sound, healthy, entire." in this compound, it carries the sense of "healthy." - some: an adjective-forming suffix from old english '-sum,' meaning "characterized by, tending to."