The mysterious case of the “lost positive“

Welcome to the world of the LOST POSITIVE. Lost positives are the extinct words that only remain in our language in their negative form. Could you ever be ruthful, feckful or gormful, just as you can be ruthless, feckless and gormless today? Is “chalant“ the opposite of nonchalant? If you’re not disgruntled are you “gruntled“? Find out as I explore a wide range of lost positives (and a handful of imposters). ⭐️PATREON: 📝FREE NEWSLETTER: 📚SUSIE DENT’S LOVELY BOOKS📚 Roots of Happiness: Interesting Stories About Curious Words: Check me out on the web, on Twitter & TikTok: @robwords Edited with Gling AI: #english #etymology #language ==CHAPTERS== 0:00 What are lost positives? 0:59 INNOCENT / NOCENT 1:30 Susie Dent!! 2:58 RUTHLESS / RUTHFUL 3:38 FECKFUL / FECKLESS 4:46 GORMLESS / GORMFUL 5:49 WHELMED 6:38 INFLAMMABLE / FLAMMABLE 7:11 DISGRUNTLED / GRUNTLED 8:50 NONCHALANT / CHALANT 10:30 UNKEMPT / KEMPT 11:44 UNCOUTH / COUTH 12:58 UNRULY / RULY 13:20 INEPT / EPT 14:36 INCESSANT / CESSANT 14:53 INEVITABLE / EVITABLE 15:12 UNWIELDY / WIELDY 15:32 INDEFATIGABLE / DEFATIGABLE