In 'unless', how would've 'negative connotation' caused 'on' to change to 'un'?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty{ margin-bottom:0;
}
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
unless (conj.)
mid-15c., earlier onlesse,
from (not) on lesse (than) "(not) on a less compelling condition (than);" see less.
The first syllable originally on, butthe negative connotationand the lack of stress changed it to un-. "Except could once be used as a synonym for unless, but the words have now drawn entirely apart" [Century Dictionary].
I ask about only one determinant of change: the negative connotation. 1. How'd it cause 'on' to change, when the negative connotation is wholly spwaned by 'less'?
- To a Middle English layperson, wouldn't prefixing 'less' with 'un' reverse the meaning of 'unless'? As 'less than good = not good', wouldn't
un + less than good
= not + not good
= good?
etymology unless
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 13 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
unless (conj.)
mid-15c., earlier onlesse,
from (not) on lesse (than) "(not) on a less compelling condition (than);" see less.
The first syllable originally on, butthe negative connotationand the lack of stress changed it to un-. "Except could once be used as a synonym for unless, but the words have now drawn entirely apart" [Century Dictionary].
I ask about only one determinant of change: the negative connotation. 1. How'd it cause 'on' to change, when the negative connotation is wholly spwaned by 'less'?
- To a Middle English layperson, wouldn't prefixing 'less' with 'un' reverse the meaning of 'unless'? As 'less than good = not good', wouldn't
un + less than good
= not + not good
= good?
etymology unless
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 13 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
1
ON is just the way they used to spell what we spell UN. Spelynge hath y-changed.
– John Lawler
Apr 9 at 0:37
1
@JohnLawler If so, then would Etymonline be wrong to impute 'the negative connotation' to this prefix change?
– Greek - Area 51 Proposal
Apr 9 at 19:42
I have no idea what they mean by "the negative connotation". The prefix is negative, that's all. No connotation involved.
– John Lawler
Apr 10 at 2:57
@JohnLawler The prefix used to be the preposition on, which is not negative. At some point, the general negative connotations of the phrase/word caused the prefix to shift from the preposition on to the negating prefix un-. Spelling is not the essential part here; un- has been written that way since Old English, generally distinct from on-.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Oct 26 at 11:18
In some dialects. In others, other things happened. Similar remarks famously apply to black and blank, which meant 'black' and 'white', but not necessarily in that order, all through Middle English times -- dialects and idiolects varied a great deal in which meant which.
– John Lawler
Oct 26 at 17:44
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
unless (conj.)
mid-15c., earlier onlesse,
from (not) on lesse (than) "(not) on a less compelling condition (than);" see less.
The first syllable originally on, butthe negative connotationand the lack of stress changed it to un-. "Except could once be used as a synonym for unless, but the words have now drawn entirely apart" [Century Dictionary].
I ask about only one determinant of change: the negative connotation. 1. How'd it cause 'on' to change, when the negative connotation is wholly spwaned by 'less'?
- To a Middle English layperson, wouldn't prefixing 'less' with 'un' reverse the meaning of 'unless'? As 'less than good = not good', wouldn't
un + less than good
= not + not good
= good?
etymology unless
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
unless (conj.)
mid-15c., earlier onlesse,
from (not) on lesse (than) "(not) on a less compelling condition (than);" see less.
The first syllable originally on, butthe negative connotationand the lack of stress changed it to un-. "Except could once be used as a synonym for unless, but the words have now drawn entirely apart" [Century Dictionary].
I ask about only one determinant of change: the negative connotation. 1. How'd it cause 'on' to change, when the negative connotation is wholly spwaned by 'less'?
- To a Middle English layperson, wouldn't prefixing 'less' with 'un' reverse the meaning of 'unless'? As 'less than good = not good', wouldn't
un + less than good
= not + not good
= good?
etymology unless
etymology unless
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
edited May 27 at 4:34
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
asked Apr 8 at 23:34
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
4,04084087
4,04084087
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 13 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 13 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
1
ON is just the way they used to spell what we spell UN. Spelynge hath y-changed.
– John Lawler
Apr 9 at 0:37
1
@JohnLawler If so, then would Etymonline be wrong to impute 'the negative connotation' to this prefix change?
– Greek - Area 51 Proposal
Apr 9 at 19:42
I have no idea what they mean by "the negative connotation". The prefix is negative, that's all. No connotation involved.
– John Lawler
Apr 10 at 2:57
@JohnLawler The prefix used to be the preposition on, which is not negative. At some point, the general negative connotations of the phrase/word caused the prefix to shift from the preposition on to the negating prefix un-. Spelling is not the essential part here; un- has been written that way since Old English, generally distinct from on-.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Oct 26 at 11:18
In some dialects. In others, other things happened. Similar remarks famously apply to black and blank, which meant 'black' and 'white', but not necessarily in that order, all through Middle English times -- dialects and idiolects varied a great deal in which meant which.
– John Lawler
Oct 26 at 17:44
add a comment |
1
ON is just the way they used to spell what we spell UN. Spelynge hath y-changed.
– John Lawler
Apr 9 at 0:37
1
@JohnLawler If so, then would Etymonline be wrong to impute 'the negative connotation' to this prefix change?
– Greek - Area 51 Proposal
Apr 9 at 19:42
I have no idea what they mean by "the negative connotation". The prefix is negative, that's all. No connotation involved.
– John Lawler
Apr 10 at 2:57
@JohnLawler The prefix used to be the preposition on, which is not negative. At some point, the general negative connotations of the phrase/word caused the prefix to shift from the preposition on to the negating prefix un-. Spelling is not the essential part here; un- has been written that way since Old English, generally distinct from on-.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Oct 26 at 11:18
In some dialects. In others, other things happened. Similar remarks famously apply to black and blank, which meant 'black' and 'white', but not necessarily in that order, all through Middle English times -- dialects and idiolects varied a great deal in which meant which.
– John Lawler
Oct 26 at 17:44
1
1
ON is just the way they used to spell what we spell UN. Spelynge hath y-changed.
– John Lawler
Apr 9 at 0:37
ON is just the way they used to spell what we spell UN. Spelynge hath y-changed.
– John Lawler
Apr 9 at 0:37
1
1
@JohnLawler If so, then would Etymonline be wrong to impute 'the negative connotation' to this prefix change?
– Greek - Area 51 Proposal
Apr 9 at 19:42
@JohnLawler If so, then would Etymonline be wrong to impute 'the negative connotation' to this prefix change?
– Greek - Area 51 Proposal
Apr 9 at 19:42
I have no idea what they mean by "the negative connotation". The prefix is negative, that's all. No connotation involved.
– John Lawler
Apr 10 at 2:57
I have no idea what they mean by "the negative connotation". The prefix is negative, that's all. No connotation involved.
– John Lawler
Apr 10 at 2:57
@JohnLawler The prefix used to be the preposition on, which is not negative. At some point, the general negative connotations of the phrase/word caused the prefix to shift from the preposition on to the negating prefix un-. Spelling is not the essential part here; un- has been written that way since Old English, generally distinct from on-.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Oct 26 at 11:18
@JohnLawler The prefix used to be the preposition on, which is not negative. At some point, the general negative connotations of the phrase/word caused the prefix to shift from the preposition on to the negating prefix un-. Spelling is not the essential part here; un- has been written that way since Old English, generally distinct from on-.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Oct 26 at 11:18
In some dialects. In others, other things happened. Similar remarks famously apply to black and blank, which meant 'black' and 'white', but not necessarily in that order, all through Middle English times -- dialects and idiolects varied a great deal in which meant which.
– John Lawler
Oct 26 at 17:44
In some dialects. In others, other things happened. Similar remarks famously apply to black and blank, which meant 'black' and 'white', but not necessarily in that order, all through Middle English times -- dialects and idiolects varied a great deal in which meant which.
– John Lawler
Oct 26 at 17:44
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
This is almost a form of rebracketing-- in which a word's roots are re-defined by misunderstanding, like alcoholic (which has roots in al-kohl and the suffix -ic, but was rebracketed as alco-holic, allowing for the suffix -holic to appear in words like workaholic or coffeeholic)-- crossed with a mondegreen-- a mishearing leading to respelling, like eggcorn for acorn, or like in the game Telephone. As the prefix on- became relatively obsolete and the phonetically-similar prefix un- gained popularity, the on- in onless got redefined as un-, incorrectly. This is an example of a false etymology.
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
This is almost a form of rebracketing-- in which a word's roots are re-defined by misunderstanding, like alcoholic (which has roots in al-kohl and the suffix -ic, but was rebracketed as alco-holic, allowing for the suffix -holic to appear in words like workaholic or coffeeholic)-- crossed with a mondegreen-- a mishearing leading to respelling, like eggcorn for acorn, or like in the game Telephone. As the prefix on- became relatively obsolete and the phonetically-similar prefix un- gained popularity, the on- in onless got redefined as un-, incorrectly. This is an example of a false etymology.
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
This is almost a form of rebracketing-- in which a word's roots are re-defined by misunderstanding, like alcoholic (which has roots in al-kohl and the suffix -ic, but was rebracketed as alco-holic, allowing for the suffix -holic to appear in words like workaholic or coffeeholic)-- crossed with a mondegreen-- a mishearing leading to respelling, like eggcorn for acorn, or like in the game Telephone. As the prefix on- became relatively obsolete and the phonetically-similar prefix un- gained popularity, the on- in onless got redefined as un-, incorrectly. This is an example of a false etymology.
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
This is almost a form of rebracketing-- in which a word's roots are re-defined by misunderstanding, like alcoholic (which has roots in al-kohl and the suffix -ic, but was rebracketed as alco-holic, allowing for the suffix -holic to appear in words like workaholic or coffeeholic)-- crossed with a mondegreen-- a mishearing leading to respelling, like eggcorn for acorn, or like in the game Telephone. As the prefix on- became relatively obsolete and the phonetically-similar prefix un- gained popularity, the on- in onless got redefined as un-, incorrectly. This is an example of a false etymology.
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
This is almost a form of rebracketing-- in which a word's roots are re-defined by misunderstanding, like alcoholic (which has roots in al-kohl and the suffix -ic, but was rebracketed as alco-holic, allowing for the suffix -holic to appear in words like workaholic or coffeeholic)-- crossed with a mondegreen-- a mishearing leading to respelling, like eggcorn for acorn, or like in the game Telephone. As the prefix on- became relatively obsolete and the phonetically-similar prefix un- gained popularity, the on- in onless got redefined as un-, incorrectly. This is an example of a false etymology.
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
answered Apr 9 at 4:33
Hayden Mesnick
193
193
add a comment |
add a comment |
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f440686%2fin-unless-how-wouldve-negative-connotation-caused-on-to-change-to-un%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
1
ON is just the way they used to spell what we spell UN. Spelynge hath y-changed.
– John Lawler
Apr 9 at 0:37
1
@JohnLawler If so, then would Etymonline be wrong to impute 'the negative connotation' to this prefix change?
– Greek - Area 51 Proposal
Apr 9 at 19:42
I have no idea what they mean by "the negative connotation". The prefix is negative, that's all. No connotation involved.
– John Lawler
Apr 10 at 2:57
@JohnLawler The prefix used to be the preposition on, which is not negative. At some point, the general negative connotations of the phrase/word caused the prefix to shift from the preposition on to the negating prefix un-. Spelling is not the essential part here; un- has been written that way since Old English, generally distinct from on-.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Oct 26 at 11:18
In some dialects. In others, other things happened. Similar remarks famously apply to black and blank, which meant 'black' and 'white', but not necessarily in that order, all through Middle English times -- dialects and idiolects varied a great deal in which meant which.
– John Lawler
Oct 26 at 17:44