Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unwarrantable” come from?

Unwarrantable derives from English warrant, which traces through Proto-Indo-European óynos and ano- to roots meaning "not" (ne) and "being" (h₂ent-).

unwarrantable (English): Not warrantable; indefensible; not vindicable;...

Definitions

  1. Not warrantable; indefensible; not vindicable;...

Ancestry of “unwarrantable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwarrantableJustifiable, just, proper; Authorized by warrant...
2EnglishwarrantAuthorization or certification; a sanction, as...
3Middle Englishwarantprotector; guard, shield, protection
4Anglo-Norman Frenchwarrant—
5Frankishwaranda warrant
6Frankishwarjanto fend off; to stop, thwart; to fend for,...
7Proto-West Germanicwaʀjanto clothe
8Proto-Germanicwarjanąto ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
10Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “unwarrantable”

  • unwarrantably
  • unwarrantableness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →