Nope. I have nothing to do with post. I’m just a bird…UNrelated. Ha! Take that, “bird brain.”
Quick reminder, if you need a brain massage, Aunty Ida is only 99 cents for a limited time! Warning: she practices deep tissue massage. Deep, deep tissue.
***
Done. Told. Easy.
Undone. Untold. Uneasy.
There’s something in the prefix “un” that takes a very hard, concrete word and softens the edges, releases the borders until it’s more nebulous. Take the first word in that series, “done.”
Feel how compact it is. In that single syllable, there’s completion. Done.
But stick “un” in front of it, and suddenly everything that was sure is now…unsure. Undone. Not a hint of how or how much, just that something that was whole is not anymore. Someone who was whole isn’t anymore. Undone.
“Told” and “easy” do the same. Told is one of those words without equivocation, it even has its when built in. Yet when “un” attaches to it, it morphs into something else entirely. Untold isn’t even the opposite of told, it’s its own independent creature. And when you think about it, makes sense, because “told” is so firm, it cannot be reversed. Untold can contain the universe.
Easy is soft and laid-back, but is still firm about it. There’s no argument with easy. Easy is as it is, and the world is smoother for it.
But uneasy.
Uneasy fills the corners full of shadows. Uneasy sends the clouds across the sun on an otherwise bright day. Uneasy twists the fine into something that isn’t.
Just two little letters can turn a word inside out and twist it into something entirely new. That is the mighty power of “un.”
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A Bit to Read 
The worst word in any writer’s lexicon is ‘unread’. *shudder*
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Ooof. Let’s not even let that one hang around the gate, shall we?!
Ooh, which reminds me I have stories to visit I was too busy making props to see this weekend!
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If you mean mine, you’ve already read them all!
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They’re still worth the click! Especially if anyone hasn’t read them…
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Lorinda has! And one other person, provenance unknown.
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Funny, I always think of ‘un’ as connoting an opposite, but as your post shows, that is definitely untrue! (And there is another – untrue seems different than ‘lie,’ which would be the immediate opposite of true/truth).
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It really doesn’t seem the same as a lie, does it? It just gives wiggle room to the word “truth.”
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Right – and the only people who use it seriously seem to be politicians!
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That is an excellent point!
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This was quite a thought-provoking post! You’re right, untold holds so much more than just ‘hasn’t been told yet’. It holds the rest of the story and more.
Thanks for such an inspiring post and for commenting on my blog at PS Annie!
Have a blessed day. 🙂
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Well thanks for the return visit! Yes, sometimes I get these thoughts into my head, and then I just have to share them. Words are such changelings.
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Yes, they are, and fun, too. I have always had a fondness for words and writing and reading.
You’re welcome. Have a blessed evening! 🙂
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Thanks, and you as well!
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Thanks!
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I.L……..very clever blog post! I loved it. I’ll be back to catch up on your other posts. I will leave something for you…….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UoIMwQEgL8
Zulu Delta
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Thanks, I’ll check it out!
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This is a fascinating analysis of the prefix “un.” You are right; “un” implies equivocation, a sense of incompleteness. I love this post. Glenda from
Evolving English Teacher
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Thanks so much! And given that language is your business…
I love how subtle choice of word can be, but it gives texture to the whole sentence or idea.
Also thanks for stopping by again so that I didn’t have to dig through to find you!
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Unbelievable! A clever post for a tricky letter.
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Thanks! Your comment is…not unappreciated?! (OK, that was just ungraceful).
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love your comment about the cloud and the sun. beautifully written.
Joy @ The Joyous Living
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Thanks, Joy! I owe you a couple of visits, I’m getting behind on my rounds!
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This was a fun read. I’m more than 1100 behind. You have nothing to worry about. I don’t even have time to write. 😦
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And I came across a quilting site I thought you would like today! But that would make it 1101…
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Just add it to the pile. 🙂
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I’ve visited so many blogs I couldn’t remember which it was, but I found her! http://ozzypipquilts.blogspot.com/
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Thanks. 🙂
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Of course 🙂 I thought of you immediately! Very pretty stuff.
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My favorite word is undone, as in undoing my shoe laces. I love to get home and take off my shoes. I would not want to go barefoot in public, but I love have unshod feet at home. Did I get enough un words in there?
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Of course! You can always get a good “un” word in!
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This is wonderful. Good insight into the obvious… which I never thought about before. Not unbelievably smart.
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Thanks! But I would say it’s one of those tiny things you only notice when you really look at it. I think a lot of word choice is subconscious, the word just sounds right. We don’t always break down why.
And, uh, you are clearly smart. I’ve read your blog. I know these things. 🙂
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Smart or un-smart, that is the question. 🙂
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I say smart! No un about it 😉
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“untold” – because you can’t ever take back your words, the best is sometimes to leave them “unspoken”.
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Absolutely! I wish I practiced that one better. Sometimes I’m a blurter.
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your post has given me ideas for writing prompts for the group I host each month…interesting where inspiration can be found
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That’s fantastic, I’m so glad to hear it! Inspiration can be found in the strangest of places 🙂
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Ha! That is great, and is exactly what I feel as a non-native speaker. Especially ‘uneasy’ was described excellent…ly?
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Thanks! I can’t imagine what English is like for a non-native speaker, it’s difficult enough for native ones! (And yes, it would be “excellently” as it’s the adverb modifying the verb “described.” Poor adverbs get no love).
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