Unspelled

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Written with incorrect spelling or not spelled out in full according to standard convention
2. Rendered with a wrong sequence of letters or left without proper orthographic representation
3. Presented with letters arranged incorrectly or omitted without standard spelling applied

Etymology: "Unspelled" is the past tense and past participle of "unspell," a verb formed by attaching the prefix "un-" to "spell." The prefix "un-" is an Old English element meaning "not" or "the reverse of," and it was productive in English for forming verbs that undo an action, as in "unwrap" or "untie." Here it reverses "spell" in the sense of putting a magical charm on someone, so "unspell" means to free a person or thing from such a charm. The base verb "spell" carries that magical sense in English, and "unspell" builds on it in the same way. The compound follows the normal pattern of English verb formation, so its meaning can be read directly from its two parts.

Synonyms: unspelt