'unpaved' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'paved' from Latin 'pavimentum', meaning 'a floor or pavement'.

'unpaved' changed from the Old English word 'unpæfed' and eventually became the modern English word 'unpaved'.

Initially, it meant 'not covered with a hard surface', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.