'unengraved' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'un-' (Old English) combined with the past participle 'engraved' from the verb 'engrave', where 'un-' meant 'not' and 'engrave' meant 'to carve or cut into a surface'.

'engrave' changed from Old French 'engraver' and Middle English forms such as 'engraven' and eventually became the modern English verb 'engrave'; the negative prefix 'un-' was added to form 'unengraved'.

Initially, 'engrave' meant 'to carve or cut into a surface'; over time that core sense has been retained, and 'unengraved' therefore came to mean 'not carved or inscribed'.