DictionaryRoot: un-
Old English
un-
not
Forms
- un-
Origin
An inherited Germanic negative prefix with older Indo-European relatives.
Note
It is historically distinct from the reversal prefix used in undoing an action.
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adjective
unholy
un-HOH-lee/ʌnˈhəʊli/
Offending what is regarded as sacred.
Etymology
Halig covered both sacred status and godly character. Negating it therefore gives not only ‘not sacred’ but also ‘impious’ or ‘wicked,’ the stronger moral meaning already found in Old English unhalig.