'unhitch' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'hitchen,' where 'un-' meant 'reverse action' and 'hitch' meant 'to fasten or connect.'

'hitchen' transformed into the modern English word 'unhitch' by adding the prefix 'un-' to indicate the reversal of the action.

Initially, it meant 'to unfasten or detach,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.