Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unravel” come from?

Unravel derives from English ravel, which comes from Latin unus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European óynos, related to the root h₂ent- meaning "being" or "entity."

unravel (English): To separate the threads ; disentangle; To become...

Definitions

  1. To separate the threads ; disentangle; To become...

Ancestry of “unravel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishUn-—
2EnglishstillNot moving; calm; Not effervescing; not...
3Old Englishstillanbecome calm, abate, subside; calm, pacify,...
4Proto-West Germanicstillijanto make still, quiet
5Proto-West Germanic-janCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
6Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “unravel”

  • unravelment
  • unraveler
  • unravelable
  • un-unravelable
Every word from Chichewa iye →