Where does “unawares” come from?
Unawares derives from English aware, prefixed with un-, ultimately tracing to Latin unus and Proto-Indo-European óynos, both meaning "one," with the sense developing toward "not knowing" through the notion of singular inattention.
unawares (English): Unexpectedly or by surprise; Inadvertently;...
Definitions
- Unexpectedly or by surprise; Inadvertently;...
Ancestry of “unawares”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -s | Used to form regular plurals of nouns; Used to... |
| 2 | English | ’s | — |
| 3 | English | Kingstown | OS grid ref NY3959 |
| 4 | English | town | A settlement; an area with residential districts,... |
| 5 | Middle English | toun | town |
| 6 | Middle English | ende | The end or finishing of a thing; the terminal... |
| 7 | Old English | ende | end, limit, border, corner |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |