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What words can be prepended with "un" and mean something other than the obvious?

 
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There's a question out there, how to read unionized. Does it refer to organized labor or some form of atomic stability. Regardless, it brings to mind a question. What words can be prepended with "un" and mean something completely different?

to/unto
ion/union
canny/uncanny

icicle and unicycle sounds good, but has an i/y difference.
 
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Well... there's "obvious", which when prefixed by "un" means something other than the obvious.



(runs away)
 
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animous / unanimous
it / unit
easy / uneasy

ix (= boy who is not able to satisfactorily explain what a hrung is, nor why it should have chosen to collapse on Betelgeuse Seven) and unix ;)
 
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Brian Tkatch wrote:. . . unionized. Does it refer to organized labor or some form of atomic stability. . . .

You mean like periodic acid?
 
Brian Tkatch
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Karthik Shiraly wrote:animous / unanimous


Grr! It's spelt animus!

Karthik Shiraly wrote:it / unit


I knew that one, but forgot, t(h)anx for bringing it up. (I feel "thanks" has a different connotation.)

Karthik Shiraly wrote:easy / uneasy


My first reaction was "no, can't be!" But, my uneasiness was easy to overcome.

Karthik Shiraly wrote:ix (= boy who is not able to satisfactorily explain what a hrung is, nor why it should have chosen to collapse on Betelgeuse Seven) and unix ;)


I'm all hrung up on what any of those words mean.

 
Brian Tkatch
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Campbell Ritchie wrote:

Brian Tkatch wrote:. . . unionized. Does it refer to organized labor or some form of atomic stability. . . .

You mean like periodic acid?



I actually have no idea what you are talking about.
 
Karthik Shiraly
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Grr! It's spelt animus!


Not in India, where we unanimously follow the UK version, obviously because they infamously ruled abused India for 2 centuries.

If it wasn't the case, I'd have to say:
Not in India, where we unanimusly follow the UK version, obviusly because they infamusly ruled abused India for 2 centuries.
 
Brian Tkatch
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Karthik Shiraly wrote:

Grr! It's spelt animus!


Not in India, where we unanimously follow the UK version, obviously because they infamously ruled abused India for 2 centuries.

If it wasn't the case, I'd have to say:
Not in India, where we unanimusly follow the UK version, obviusly because they infamusly ruled abused India for 2 centuries.



I searched first. And the OED says otherwise. Besides brains, what am i missing?
 
Karthik Shiraly
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Perhaps other search results: https://www.google.co.in/?q=define+animous
 
Brian Tkatch
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Karthik Shiraly wrote:Perhaps other search results: https://www.google.co.in/?q=define+animous



Google corrects the spelling. Forcing it to search for the misspelt word, brings up a bunch of dubious dictionary sites. Do you know of a reputable dictionary that adds the "o"?
 
Karthik Shiraly
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No I do not.
 
Brian Tkatch
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Karthik Shiraly wrote:No I do not.



I, hereby, unanimously, retract any animus i had toward you.
 
Campbell Ritchie
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Brian Tkatch wrote:. . . Grr! It's spelt animus! . . .

Of course it is animus. It is a noun not an adjective, so it would never have an O in. Unlike many words beginning with un- pronounced with a short U (un=not or similar), the etymology of unanimous is different; the un- is short for the Latin unus(=one) and it is pronounced with a long U.
 
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iPod and unipod?
 
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This isn't exactly on-topic, but this is from a prototype we had built offshore, where adding a space in the word caused it to mean something different

 
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Derwent / underwent
 
Brian Tkatch
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I was hoping for words not names. The whole point is that its odd to see the word mean something other than what would otherwise be expected. By names, well, it doesn't tickle me at all.

Oh well, it's all drivel anyway.
 
Michael Matola
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toward / untoward

 
Campbell Ritchie
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The ety,ology of untoward seems to be from un and toward.
 
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i / uni
 
Brian Tkatch
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Campbell Ritchie wrote:The ety,ology of untoward seems to be from un and toward.



I've been going back and forth on that. Can you provide a sentence where both words can be used interchangeably and mean the opposite thing?
 
Campbell Ritchie
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The etymology does not necessarily denote the current meaning.
 
Ron McLeod
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less: to a smaller extent
unless: except under certain circumstances
 
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Karthik Shiraly wrote:Not in India, where we unanimously follow the UK version, obviously because they infamously ruled abused India for 2 centuries.


Fair enough, but at least we taught you how to spell tyre and waggon and centre; and that Honor is a girl's name, not a code.

My offering:
til (= sesame)
and for TV fans:
sub

BTW: Did you know that "'I' before 'E', except after 'C'" is just plain wrong? There are more words in the English language where it doesn't hold true than where it does.
Just one of the fascinating thing you learn from QI.

Winston
 
Brian Tkatch
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Winston Gutkowski wrote:at least we taught you how to spell tyre and waggon and centre; and that Honor is a girl's name, not a code.


I'm tyred of you guys waggin' your tails like your the centre of the universe. You ought to take the "u" out of honour...do i need to spell it out for you?

Winston Gutkowski wrote:Did you know that "'I' before 'E', except after 'C'" is just plain wrong? There are more words in the English language where it doesn't hold true than where it does.


And did you know that more months have 29 days than the one that only has it approximately once every four years? And that after February, the calendar will continue to March?
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Brian TkatchAnd did [i wrote:you[/i] know that more months have 29 days than the one that only has it approximately once every four years?


Well, my assumption would be that eleven of them do except in a leap year.

Winston
 
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Winston Gutkowski wrote:

Brian TkatchAnd did [i wrote:you[/i] know that more months have 29 days than the one that only has it approximately once every four years?


Well, my assumption would be that eleven of them do except in a leap year.



Believe it or not, they still have 29 days even in a leap year! I know, totally crazy, right?
 
Paul Clapham
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Winston Gutkowski wrote:Fair enough, but at least we taught you how to spell tyre and waggon and centre;



But for other opinions have a look at Canadian Tire Centre.
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Paul Clapham wrote:But for other opinions have a look at Canadian Tire Centre.


Canadians have always been a bit "transatlantic".

And I say that as one myself (born in Toronto and lived 18 years in Vancouver).

Winston
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Brian Tkatch wrote:And did you know that more months have 29 days than the one that only has it approximately once every four years? And that after February, the calendar will continue to March?


Ah, but do you know which day is added to February in a leap year?

Winston
 
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I do. The sixth.
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Campbell Ritchie wrote:I do. The sixth.


What makes you say that? It's not the answer I know (and I'd accept two possible values), but I'd be interested in your reasons.

Winston
 
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Winston Gutkowski wrote:Ah, but do you know which day is added to February in a leap year?



August 30th?
 
Michael Matola
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Brian Tkatch wrote:August 30th?



Aha. Configuration over convention.
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Michael Matola wrote:Aha. Configuration over convention.


Yup, and it's convention I'm after. And written down over two thousand years ago.

And it still has effects to this day.

Winston
 
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Winston Gutkowski wrote:

Campbell Ritchie wrote:I do. The sixth.


What makes you say that? . . .

Dies bissextus. What the Romans added to February. They had two 6ths. It is why this year is a bissextile year.

Wikipedia says it was ante diem sextum Calendas Martias which is actually 24th Feb. that was doubled. I never knew that before. What were your two days?
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Campbell Ritchie wrote:What were your two days?


The 24th or 25th. It's a bit tough to say which one is "added", because the rules simply say that the 24th is duplicated.

Some European countries (including Poland I think) that celebrate "name days"s push any occurring after the 24th to a day later in a leap year; but what exactly they do for ones occurring on the 24th - or indeed for a saint born on the 24th in a leap year - I don't know.

Winston
 
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24th and 25th matches what Wikipedia said. It said they considered dies bissextus rather like one day 48 hours long.
 
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If you want to consider other negation prefixes then "regardless" and "irregardless" mean the same thing.
 
Winston Gutkowski
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Paul Clapham wrote:If you want to consider other negation prefixes then "regardless" and "irregardless" mean the same thing.


"Irregardless" is almost certainly a portmanteau of 'irrespective' and 'regardless' though; and most dictionaries - even American ones - consider it incorrect.

It doesn't actually make much sense either, since 'ir-' means 'not' and '-less' means 'without', although I suppose you could view it as "emphatic" - ie, 'really regardless'.

Sorry. Son of an English teacher...

Winston
 
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