Where does “unwanted” come from?
Unwanted derives from English want, from Proto-Indo-European óynos, which developed from the root h₂ent- meaning "to be" combined with the negating particle ne.
unwanted (English): Not wanted; unwelcome; One who or that which is...
Definitions
- Not wanted; unwelcome; One who or that which is...
Ancestry of “unwanted”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wanted | wished for; desired; sought; subject to immediate... |
| 2 | English | want | To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand |
| 3 | Middle English | wont | custom, habit, practice |
| 4 | Old English | ġewunod | — |
| 5 | Old English | ġewunian | to stand by (someone), support |
| 6 | Old English | ġē | ye |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | jahw | and, also |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -hw | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -hwe | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -kʷe | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |