An orphaned negative or unpaired word is a word that contains a negative prefix or suffix (like un-or dis-) but lacks a corresponding positive counterpart in everyday use. It is not to be confused with a negative of orphans. These words feel like they should have an antonym, but the base word has fallen out of use over time. According to AI, orphaned negatives can also be one of those shoeboxes of old photos, where the prints have become separated from their negatives and one is left with a jumbled mess, but leaving AI aside let’s stick with the first definition.

In the July 1994 New Yorker, author Jack Winter offered a humorous take on orphaned negatives in his article, How I Met My Wife. It is written using orphaned negatives. Its opening paragraph demonstrates this tongue-in-cheek linguistic gimmick:

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.

Tomorrow, I’ll delve into the potential link between phone use and population decline and also drooling in your sleep. Is it normal to drool in your sleep? Every day your mouth produces between a liter to a liter-and-a-half of saliva that has to go somewhere. Why not your pillow?