Unpaired Words: Why Do They Exist?

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Unpaired Words

I bet you’ve felt disdain, but have you ever experienced dain? Probably not. After all, it doesn’t exist. Words like this are called unpaired words. 

They seem like they should have an opposite, but just don’t. Let’s take a look at this language quirk and see how and why it develops.

What are Unpaired Words?

Unpaired words, also known as “orphans” and “false pairs”, are words without partners. Despite having affixes that imply they have antonyms, they have no opposites. 

For example, you can be over and underwhelmed, but you can never be just whelmed. You can debunk a hoax but never bunk it in the first place. If something is inert, can it be ert?

These loners come in two flavors. Positive unpaired words are words that don’t have negative counterparts. Negative unpaired words are the total opposite.

Examples

Here are a few examples of unpaired words.

  • Discombobulate
  • Unkempt
  • Ineffable
  • Nonplussed
  • Disgruntled
  • Impetuous
  • Debunk
  • Dejected
  • Incessant
  • Indomitable
  • Misgivings
  • Nonchalant
  • Noncommittal
  • Nondescript
  • Ungainly
  • Unswerving
  • Unbeknownst
  • Reckless
  • Innocent
  • Impervious
  • Bashful
  • Hapless
  • Awful
  • Exasperate
  • Off-putting
  • Rebuttal
  • Rueful
  • Superstitious

In Literature and Pop Culture

Here are some examples showing clever use of unpaired words.

1. How I Met My Wife by Jack Winter

“It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate. I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and she moved in a gainly way.”

Winter, Jack. “How I Met My Wife.” The New Yorker, July 18, 1994.

2. Kempt by Tripod

3. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

“I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.”

4. The Office

Origins of Unpaired Words

Unpaired words can be due to borrowing from another language but failing to create or adapt their counterparts in the new language. For instance, “disheveled” didn’t come from a root word sheveled. It actually derives from the Old French word “deschevelé,” meaning “with disordered hair.”

Some unpaired words originally had pairs, but those counterparts have become obsolete over time. Nocent was once the opposite of “innocent,” but it’s now rarely used, much like the old pairings of (un)gainly, (un)wieldy, and (im)pulsive.

There are also unpaired words that seem to have counterparts because they appear to be formed from a root word and an affix. For example, “nonchalant” has the prefix “non-,” leading to the assumption that chalant exists. Wrong.

Another category includes unpaired words ending in negative suffixes without a corresponding positive opposite. You can be “awful” but not awless, and “feckless” but not feckful.

However, unpaired words can sometimes develop pairs through back-formation, which involves creating a new word by removing an actual or supposed affix from an existing word. For example, gruntled is a back-formation of “disgruntled”, appearing years after the latter. 

Exploring Potential Pairings

Language is constantly evolving. And as a writer, it’s practically your job to experiment with it. William Shakespeare invented words to fit his stories. Why can’t you? What if you could create the missing pairs for unpaired words?

Of course, not everyone will be familiar with these “new” words, so be sure to provide enough context to make your meaning clear. Most will probably understand if you describe someone as kempt (unkempt) but will have trouble figuring out what ept (inept) is. Consider how common a word is and how much different it becomes when you add or remove from it.

Even if you’re not planning to introduce new words into the lexicon, it’s valuable to be aware of which words don’t exist. Knowing this can prevent you from unintentionally using a nonexistent word and potentially confusing your readers.

What are your favorite unpaired words? Share them below!

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