Unlovelich

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Lacking beauty or charm, and so unpleasant to look at or be near
2. Describing something plain, unappealing, or unworthy of affection
3. Not inspiring love, admiration, or fondness because it is ugly or disagreeable

Etymology: "Unlovelich" is a plain compound: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "lovelich", a Middle English adjective meaning lovable or amiable. That older adjective was built from "love" plus the suffix "-lich", a variant of "-like", which gave it the sense of having the qualities of love. So the word simply means "not lovable." Its history is unremarkable in a useful way. English formed many adjectives this way in the Middle Ages, pairing "un-" with native words, and this one fell out of use as the later forms "unlovely" and "unlovable" became standard. Nothing in its making is surprising, but it shows how English once put "-lich" on words to describe qualities, a pattern that survives in "godly" and "lovely" itself.