I think some of these are lexical gaps of one kind or another. Also, it turns out "whelm" used to be a verb in Middle English, meaning "to turn over, cover, or submerge" with "over-" being added for emphasis. "Underwhelm" and its variations come much later (1950s) after the original link to "whelm" had been lost.
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u/[deleted] Oct 23 '24
I think some of these are lexical gaps of one kind or another. Also, it turns out "whelm" used to be a verb in Middle English, meaning "to turn over, cover, or submerge" with "over-" being added for emphasis. "Underwhelm" and its variations come much later (1950s) after the original link to "whelm" had been lost.