intransigent

This adjective means 'not willing to compromise'.

The addition of the prefix 'in' provides the negative which is neatly embedded in the word.

Taken from the Spanish in the 19th Century, 'los intransigentes' translates as 'the uncompromising ones' and was applied to a group of political extremists.

Its orgins lie in the Latin 'transigere' which means 'to settle'

This word is a splendid example of how new words are gathered into global usage and applied across general English language contexts.

Incompetent

There are many examples of words that carry the negative within their construction.  By adding a prefix (in this case 'in') to the word 'competent', the positive becomes negative.

Other examples of the prefix in are - 'inaccurate', 'ineligible' and 'intolerant'.

As a competent speaker of English examine your dictionary's entries for 'in'.  You'll be surprised at the length of the list.  You'll find new words for crosswords and Scrabble.  And you'll build your vocabulary.

If you are currently learning English,have a look at the dictionary entries for 'in'.  Do this for a few minutes at a time. Note those words that you hear often. Gather a few that are less familiar to you. Return to the reference. Look out for any analyses in your reference.  And remember that not all words beginning with 'in' imply the negative. Seek out those and expand your vocabulary.

There are additional prefixes used in English.  I'll be writing more on this topic in future posts.