English word origin

Etymology of unwed

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English wed English unwed From un- (not) + wed.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

One who is not married; a bachelor or a spinster.

adj

Not married.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "un-<pos:not><id:negative>",
        "4": "wed",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *né\nProto-Indo-European *n̥-\nProto-Germanic *un-\nProto-West Germanic *un-\nOld English un-\nMiddle English un-\nEnglish un-\nEnglish wed\nEnglish unwed\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*un-\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*un-\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"un-\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"un-\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"un-\", \"lang\" : \"en\", \"pos\" : \"not\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"wed\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"unwed\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"unwed\">\nFrom un- (not) + wed."
    },
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      "name": "ety",
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        "2": ":af",
        "3": "un-<pos:not><id:negative>",
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      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *né\nProto-Indo-European *n̥-\nProto-Germanic *un-\nProto-West Germanic *un-\nOld English un-\nMiddle English un-\nEnglish un-\nEnglish wed\nEnglish unwed\nFrom un- (not) + wed."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*né",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/né#Proto-Indo-European:_not"
    ],
    [
      "*n̥-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/n̥-#Proto-Indo-European:_not"
    ],
    [
      "*un-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/un-#Proto-Germanic:_not"
    ],
    [
      "*un-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/un-#Proto-West_Germanic:_not"
    ],
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#Old_English:_not"
    ],
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#Middle_English:_not"
    ],
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#English:_negative"
    ],
    [
      "wed",
      "wed#English"
    ],
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#English:_negative"
    ],
    [
      "wed",
      "wed#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One who is not married; a bachelor or a spinster."
      ],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Not married."
      ],
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        "not-comparable"
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To annul the marriage of. · To separate.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂éntsder. Proto-Germanic *anda- Proto-West Germanic *anda- Old English and- Old English on- Middle English on- English un- English wed English unwed From un- (to reverse) + wed.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "un-<pos:to reverse><id:reversive>",
        "4": "wed",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ent-\nProto-Indo-European *-s\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éntsder.\nProto-Germanic *anda-\nProto-West Germanic *anda-\nOld English and-\nOld English on-\nMiddle English on-\nEnglish un-\nEnglish wed\nEnglish unwed\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"front\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂ent-\", \"gloss\" : \"face, forehead; front\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"amphikinetic\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-s\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂énts\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*anda-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*anda-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"and-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"on-\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"on-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"un-\", \"lang\" : \"en\", \"pos\" : \"to reverse\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"wed\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"unwed\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"unwed\">\nFrom un- (to reverse) + wed."
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂ent-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ent-#Proto-Indo-European:_front"
    ],
    [
      "*-s",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-s#Proto-Indo-European:_amphikinetic"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂énts",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂énts"
    ],
    [
      "*anda-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/anda-"
    ],
    [
      "*anda-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/anda-"
    ],
    [
      "and-",
      "and-#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "on-",
      "on-#Old_English:_and-"
    ],
    [
      "on-",
      "on-#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "un-",
      "un-#English:_reversive"
    ],
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      "wed",
      "wed#English"
    ],
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      "un-",
      "un-#English:_reversive"
    ],
    [
      "wed",
      "wed#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To annul the marriage of.",
        "To separate."
      ],
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        "transitive",
        "figuratively"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for unwed →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dW53ZWQ