Where does “unlovable” come from?
Unlovable derives from English lovable (capable of being loved) with the prefix un- (not), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- (being, entity).
unlovable (English): Not lovable
Ancestry of “unlovable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lovable | Inspiring or deserving love or affection |
| 2 | Middle English | lovable | — |
| 3 | Middle English | loven | to love |
| 4 | Old English | lofian | to praise; exalt; to appraise; value; put a price... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *lobōn | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lubōną | to praise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewbʰ- | to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lēw- | to sound, resound, sing out; to leave |
Words derived from “unlovable”