An inseparable prefix in a very large number of words, usu. expressing simple negation, with the meaning ‘not’. It appears primarily with nouns, adjectives, adverbs, present and past participles, but can also appear with gerunds, at least one preposition (unlik(e), and probably a few finite verbs. The prefix was both very frequent in OE and very productive in ME, where it was used with both native words and borrowings from Latin, Old French, Old Norse, etc. Selected examples of ME uses follow: (a) Nouns, both simple and derived: unaccordaunce, unbihofthe, unblessidhed, unbodi, unchastite, uncost, undisposicioun, unfeith, ungod, unhelpe, uniriht, unlaufulnes, unmain, unorneshipe, unpunishement(e, unpurenes. (b) Adjectives, both simple and derived: unaccordaunte, unatempre, unbright(e, uncomplete, uncourteis, ungracious, unirim, unishedwis, unknightli, unlarge, unlefful, unobedient, unqueint, unseur(e, unsiȝtable, unskilful, unsound(e, untrusti. (c) Adverbs, both simple and derived: unbihoveli, undoutedli, unesili, unethe, uneven(e, unfavorabeli, unglade, unhend(e, unimetli, uniwares, unmanfulli, unprudentli, unseperabli. (d) Present participles: unabiding, unbiddende, unbrenning, undefauting, undiinge, uneilinde, unfruitand, unlæcniende, unplesing. (e) Past participles, both strong and weak: unabaiste, unbaptized, unbiden, unborn(e, uncertained, unconsecrate, undistourblet, undreint, unexecut, unfed(de, unfreten, unimetegod, uninome, unmanerd, unpromoted, unshaven; examples of past participles with un- pref.(1) are also frequently included in finite verb entries along with examples of un- pref.(2) (see further un- pref.(2), last paragraph). (f) Gerunds (usu. derived from gerund simplexes): unbehaving, unberding(e, unbilefinge, undefoilinge, undesiring, undouting(e, unforthinkinge, unharming, unhaving(e, unliking(e, unpunishinge. (g) Finite verbs: most finite verbs with an un- prefix have pref.(2), but there appear to be a few that have pref.(1): unavisen, unbitiden, undampnen (a), undeserven (a), unknouen (most senses, including its derivative gerund and agent noun), unlesen v.(1), unliken, unsen 1., untrumen (a), and untrusten (b) (including its derivative gerund). It is often difficult to distinguish the reversive sense of pref.(2) from the negative sense of pref.(1), and some of these examples could also be construed as pref.(2), though it should be noted that they are frequently intransitive or have intransitive uses and the verbs in pref.(2) are usu. transitive. One of the characteristics of this prefix is that it can be used with various compounds and combinations, e.g., unaweidoable adj., unaweifallable adj., unayendressabli adv., unayenstondabli adv., undeth-shildiȝnesse n., unforthe-broghte adj., unful-making ger., unhande-made ppl., unhertes-ese n., unlib-wurhta n., unlove-rede adj., and un-to-be-thouȝt-upon ppl. Some of the more unusual of these were coined by Reginald Pecock. The prefix can also occasionally be redundant in, or give intensifying force to, words that are already negative or have negative overtones in their simplexes, e.g., unbichid ppl., unenarrable adj., and unkene adj., prob. unlude n., unpietous adj. (1st gloss), and unpitous adj. ((c), 1st gloss), and perh. unsquike n. This is especially true of adjectives ending in -les suf. (ungiltles, unrecheles, unroles, unwitles, etc.), along with the adverb unnedeles. In addition to its purely negative sense, the prefix is sometimes used pejoratively, most often in adjectives but also in other parts of speech, e.g., unblessed ppl., unbonerte n., uncertainte n. (a), unchast(e adj. (a), unclennes(se n. 2., uncomli adj. (a), unconning(e ppl. 2., uncourteisie n., undigne adj. (a), undiscretli adv., undoughti adj., unlaue n.(1), unred n., untheu n. (a). Many words with un- pref.(1) have parallels in words with in- pref.(2). The latter are nearly always taken directly from Latin or Old French or formed from roots of Latin or Old French origin, whereas the words with un-, which are far more numerous in ME, are both derived from native words and formed from Latin and Old French roots. The only parallels with native words are inconning ger./unconning(e ger., incouthe adj./uncouth adj., and inmethe adj./unmeth(e adj. Sometimes an un- word has been suggested by or taken from the corresponding ME in- word, e.g., uncorrigible adj. or undesiccable adj.; sometimes it may have been taken from a Latin or an Old French in- word, e.g., unnombrable adj., unnumerable adj., or unperceptible adj. All of the examples discussed thus far have an inseparable un-. There are a few additional examples, not entered as separate entries, with separable un-. All of these appear in coordinate constructions in which the first member has an inseparable un- and is joined by a conjunction (and or or) to the second member, which has no prefix.