Where does “ungainful” come from?
ungainful (English) comes from English gainful, from English gain, from Middle French gain, from Old French gaaing, from Old French gaaignier, from Vulgar Latin *wadaniāre, from English unspecified, from English Un- — not.
ungainful (English): Not gainful
Ancestry of “ungainful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | gainful | Contrary; Disposed to taking advantage of;... |
| 2 | English | gain | To acquire possession of; To have or receive... |
| 3 | Middle French | gain | income |
| 4 | Old French | gaaing | gain |
| 5 | Old French | gaaignier | Alternative form of gaigner; to earn, gain,... |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | *wadaniāre | — |
| 7 | English | unspecified | Not specified; not thoroughly explained or... |
| 8 | English | Un- | — |
| 9 | Middle English | un- | — |
| 10 | Old English | un- | negation or absence of: un-, non-; bad; forms... |
| 11 | Proto-West Germanic | un- | not, un- |
| 12 | Proto-Germanic | un- | not, un- |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | n̥- | not, un- |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | ne | not |