Why Do Some Words Start With ‘Un-‘ vs. ‘In-‘?
The English language is like a city built on ancient ruins. Layer upon layer, new words rise, but root languages, habits, and rules remain beneath the surface. This is how two prefixes ended up competing for the same job. Both "un-" and "in-" flip a word’s meaning by turning it
into its opposite or expressing a lack of it. The determination of which one gets the job mostly depends on the word's ancient roots. "Un-" — the most prolific prefix in the English language — was passed down from Old English and ultimately derived from Proto-Germanic. Meaning "not" or "the...
