Where does “unregular” come from?
unregular (English) comes from English regular, from Middle English reguler, from Middle French regulier, from French régulier, from Old French reguler, from Latin rēgulāris, from Latin rēgula, from Latin -ula — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
unregular (English): Not regular
Definitions
- Not regular
Ancestry of “unregular”, step by step
unregular traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English regular
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | regular | Bound by religious rule; belonging to a monastic... |
| 2 | Middle English | reguler | — |
| 3 | Middle French | regulier | — |
| 4 | French | régulier | regular; dependable; legitimate |
| 5 | Old French | reguler | conforming to Chrisitan law |
| 6 | Latin | rēgulāris | ductile (able to be formed into a bar) |
| 7 | Latin | rēgula | rule, bar |
| 8 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via English un
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | un | One |