'unwrap' originates from Old English, specifically the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' or 'opposite of,' combined with 'wrap,' which comes from the Old English 'wræppan,' meaning 'to fold or cover.'

'wræppan' transformed into the Middle English word 'wrappe,' and eventually became the modern English word 'wrap,' with 'unwrap' forming as its opposite.

Initially, 'unwrap' meant 'to unfold or open,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.