unlust

See also: Unlust

English

Etymology

From Middle English unlust, from Old English unlust (“displeasure, dislike”), from Proto-West Germanic *unlust, from Proto-Germanic *unlustuz (“listlessness”). Equivalent to un- +‎ lust.

Noun

unlust (countable and uncountable, plural unlusts)

(rare) Displeasure; dislike.
- 1983, Alison Waley, A Half of Two Lives:
  Poetry for me wove its own spell to secure me against all 'unlusts' - all criticisms - even against joylessness: I was set apart; in safety; as secure - in this way - as he. Who was in that audience, I wonder now? That all was success is certain.
(obsolete) listlessness; disinclination.
- 1526, William Tyndale, A compendious introduction, prologue, or preface into the epistle of Paul to the Romans:
  We fynde in oure silves vnlust and tediousnes to do good.
- 1561, Hieronymus von Brunschwig, John Hollybush, transl., A most excellent and perfecte homish apothecarye:
  In all hys meates lette a litle saffron be put:..but it causeth vnluste in the stomacke.
- 1582, diary of Richard Madox:
  Yf you once fawl to lasynes or unlust..than is the scarby redy to catch you by the bones.

Middle English

Noun

unlust

listlessness; disinclination
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Parsons Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868:
  He doth all thynge wyth anoye & with wrawnesse, slacknesse, and excusation: wyth ydelnesse and vnlust.
  (please add an English translation of this quote)
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Parson’s Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125;Charles Cowden Clarke, editor, The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), 2nd edition, Edinburgh: James Nichol; London: James Nisbet & Co.; Dublin: W. Robertson, 1860, OCLC 752865638:
  He doth all thing with annoye, and with wrawnesse, slaknesse, and excusation, with idlenesse and unlust.
  (please add an English translation of this quote)

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *unlustuz. Equivalent to un- +‎ lust. Cognate with Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐌻𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 (unlustus, “apathy, listlessness”) and German Unlust (“lack of desire, aversion”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈunˌlust/

Noun

unlust m

absence of desire; disgust, disinclination, listlessness
want of pleasure; joylessness, weariness
evil pleasure, lust

Declension

Declension of unlust (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	unlust	unlustas
accusative	unlust	unlustas
genitive	unlustes	unlusta
dative	unluste	unlustum

Derived terms

unlustian

Descendants

Middle English: unlust
- English: unlust

References

Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898), “unlust”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.