unappreciation??
His very pride could not grow because unappreciation dulls pride itself, if pride be not overweening and temperamental, as it was, for instance, in Milton, who, though not very vain, had nevertheless more vanity than he would have liked to have been aware of.

I would like to know what does " unappreciation" here mean. Thanks.

Question

unappreciation??
His very pride could not grow because unappreciation dulls pride itself, if pride be not overweening and temperamental, as it was, for instance, in Milton, who, though not very vain, had nevertheless more vanity than he would have liked to have been aware of.

I would like to know what does " unappreciation" here mean. Thanks.

Answer

In general, the prefix 'un-' expresses negation when it is attached to a noun. In fact, 'un-' "is now the [prefix] which can be used with the greatest freedom in new formations." (Oxford English Dictionary or OED). So this is true for the word 'unappreciation'. It means 'no appreciation.'  You can also think of it as "without appreciation' or 'lacking appreciation'.

There is also the adjective 'unappreciative' which means the opposite of 'appreciative'. 
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/unappreciative

However, the word 'unappreciation' is rare (the OED has only example). Most dictionaries will not have it. A little later in the same text, there is a heading 'Unappreciation,' so you can read more about how the author applies the word to Shakespeare.

In short, "un-' means negation when attached to a noun. When attached to a verb, it can mean 'opposite', as in 'undo' and many other verbs.