Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unhappen” come from?

unhappen (English) comes from English happen, from Middle English happen, from Old English hæppan, from Old Norse happa, from Proto-Germanic hampijaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé- — he, she.

unhappen (English): To cease to have happened; to undo itself

Definitions

  1. To cease to have happened; to undo itself

Ancestry of “unhappen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhappenTo occur or take place; To happen to; to befall;...
2Middle Englishhappento come to pass, happen; fortunate, happy
3Old Englishhæppanto move accidentally, slip
4Old Norsehappa—
5Proto-Germanichampijanąto fit in, be fitting; to occur, happen
6Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Chichewa iye →