Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unpack” come from?

Unpack derives from English pack with the prefix un-, from Latin unus meaning "one," from Proto-Indo-European óynos, related to the root ano- and ultimately ne and en.

unpack (English): To remove from a package or container,...

Definitions

  1. To remove from a package or container,...

Ancestry of “unpack”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpackA bundle made up and prepared to be carried;...
2Middle EnglishpakkenTo pack; to put into a pack or container; To...
3Middle English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
4Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
5Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
6Proto-Norse-īna-—
7Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
8Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
9Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “unpack”

  • unpacker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →