unwary etymology

Etymology:

• Old English unwær ("not aware, incautious")
• Proto-West Germanic unwari ("not aware")
• Proto-Germanic unwazi

Meaning and Origin:

The word "unwary" means "lacking caution or awareness, and therefore susceptible to deception, harm, or error." It is the opposite of "wary," which means "cautious or vigilant."

The origin of "unwary" lies in the Old English word "unwær," which combines the negative prefix "un-" with the adjective "wær," meaning "aware" or "cautious." Over time, the "w" in "wær" was lost, resulting in the modern spelling "unwary."

The word "wær" itself is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *wer-, meaning "to ward off" or "to protect." This root is also found in the English word "ward," meaning "to protect or guard."

Related Words:

• Wary
• Beware
• Caution
• Heed
• Vigilance

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