Social Question

ragingloli's avatar

If someone, who is not grateful, is "ungrateful", why is he called an "ingrate", and not "ungrate"?

Asked by ragingloli (52234points) March 21st, 2019

It is unsense nonsense.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

10 Answers

janbb's avatar

That’s English for you! (And also French and…...)

canidmajor's avatar

Because he expresses ingratitude instead of ungratitude.

josie's avatar

Good question.
Like @janbb‘s answer. Modern English has plenty of origins, and can be pretty complicated.

JLeslie's avatar

English is annoying and illogical a lot of the time. I once saw a statistic that 20% of English is irregular, or exceptions, or something like that.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

Ingrate is a noun “He is an ingrate.”

Ungrateful is an adjective “He is ungrateful.”

Demosthenes's avatar

Because they entered the language separately. “Ungrateful” is “un-” + “grateful”, “ingrate” is borrowed directly from the Latin word “ingratus” meaning “unpleasant” or “disagreeable”.

joeschmo's avatar

^ Excellent.

cookieman's avatar

Plus, and “ungrate” is a wedge of cheese not suitable for grating.

canidmajor's avatar

^ I thought it was just when you compressed the bits back together…

cookieman's avatar

^ Ah yes, reconstruction.

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