# nameref requires changes to unset bar=one typeset -n foo=bar # normal unset unsets both nameref and variable it references unset foo echo "expect " recho ${bar-unset} echo "expect " recho ${foo-unset} readonly bar=two typeset -n foo=bar unset foo # this should fail because bar is readonly echo "expect " echo ${bar-unset} echo "expect " echo ${foo-unset} # one question is what happens when you unset the underlying variable qux=three typeset -n ref ref=qux echo $ref unset qux echo ${ref-unset} qux=four echo ${ref-unset}