Unpaired word

Unpaired word

An unpaired word is one that, according to the usual rules of the language, would appear to have a related word but does not. Such words usually have a prefix or suffix that would imply that there is an antonym, with the prefix or suffix being absent or opposite.

Many unpaired words are the result of one of the words disappearing from popular usage, though others were never part of a pairing and just begin with the same letters as used in common prefixes.

Unpaired words in English

Prefixes

Humorous unpaired words

The quote "if is the opposite of , is congress the opposite of progress?" is not attributed to any individual but is frequently repeated, being mentioned by Forbes magazine [http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/26/cx_ah_1126tentech.html] amongst others. "Congress" is from the Middle English "congresse" meaning a body of attendants, (Latin "congressus", meaning a meeting), and "progress" is from Middle English progresse (Latin "prōgressus") meaning to advance. Here, pro and con are in fact not opposite, with con meaning "together" and pro meaning "supporting" or "in place of" (while in other contexts con, or contr- can mean "against").

ee also

References

*" [http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/unpaired.htm Unpaired words] " at "World Wide Words"
*" [http://www.2wheels.org.uk/return/absent-antonyms.asp Absent antonyms] " at "2Wheels: The Return"


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