An unpaired word is one that, according to the usual rules of the language, would appear to have a related word but does not. Such words usually have a prefix or suffix that would imply that there is an antonym, with the prefix or suffix being absent or opposite.
Many unpaired words are the result of one of the words disappearing from popular usage, though others were never part of a pairing and just begin with the same letters as used in common prefixes.
Contents |
Unpaired words in English
Prefixes
| Word | Paired word(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Disambiguate | *Ambiguate | Not a word; derived from dis- + ambigu(ous) + -ate in the mid-20th century |
| Disconsolate | Consolate | Derived from the Latin consolatus; rarely used |
| Disheveled, Dishevelled | *Sheveled, *Shevelled | Not a word; from the Old French deschevelé |
| Indomitable | Domitable | Rarely used antonym |
| Ineffable | Effable | Rarely used antonym |
| Innocent | Nocent | Not an exact antonym; rarely used |
| Innocuous | Nocuous | Rarely used antonym |
| Uncouth | Couth | Derived from Old English word cunnan meaning "well-known" or "familiar"; rarely used |
| Ungainly | Gainly | Rarely used antonym |
| Unkempt | Kempt | Rarely used antonym |
| Unruly | Ruly | Rarely used antonym |
| Unstinting | Stinting | Rarely used antonym |
| Untoward | Toward | Not an antonym |
| Unwieldy | Wieldy | Rarely used antonym |
"Couth" does enjoy some jocular or facetious use as a conscious back-formation.
See also
References
- "Unpaired words" at World Wide Words
- "Absent antonyms" at 2Wheels: The Return
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