Literary notes about unfortunately (AI summary)
The word "unfortunately" is often deployed to introduce an element of regret or a twist of fate, subtly preparing the reader for a less-than-ideal outcome. Authors use it to signal that what follows is an unexpected setback or an inconvenient truth—whether commenting on a miscalculation in geometry ([1]) or noting the temperaments and mishaps of characters in dialogue ([2], [3]). Its placement in narrative and reflective texts, such as when conveying a historical oversight or a personal failing ([4], [5], [6]), infuses the account with a tone of resigned irony that invites the reader to acknowledge the inherent imperfections of life.
- But, unfortunately, it does not produce a square: only an oblong.
— from Amusements in Mathematics by Henry Ernest Dudeney - ,” said Miss Tilney, sighing; “I was unfortunately from home.
— from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - But, unfortunately, there has been,” he paused and took a deep breath—“a slight relapse.”
— from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - Unfortunately, The Will to Power was never completed by its author.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book I and II by Nietzsche - Unfortunately, the negotiation failed, and when he returned to defend his benefactor, he was dead.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - As far as the preparer knows, there is (unfortunately) no public domain English translation of Books X-XVI.
— from The Danish History, Books I-IX by Grammaticus Saxo
