Untie
/ʌnˈtaɪ/noun
To release or loosen something that is tied, fastened, or bound.
Did you know?The word comes from a simple Old English prefix meaning “reverse” attached to a Germanic verb for fastening, so even its structure feels like a linguistic spell for unbinding.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“to stretch, extend”
Old English
OE
untīegan
“to unfasten, loosen, or release from a tie”
Middle English
ME
untien
“to untie, unbind, or free from knots”
Modern English
English
untie
“to loosen or release something tied”