Dictionary

unsayable en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree English un- English say Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English sayable English unsayable From un- + sayable.

Meanings

1. Not capable of being said.
   • The unsaid drives us to “speak;” but, in some ways, there are limitations on what we can say, because some part always remains unsaid — we must always attempt to say the unsayable. 2004, Daniel Fidel Ferrer, Philosophical Aphorisms: Critical Encounters with Heidegger and Nietzsche, page 97:
   • Whatsoever has been said before me, even on any subject, surely it belongs thereto that it can be repeated by me in rehearsal, and hence it does not seem possible that in this sense it should be so fitly called unspeakable or unsayable. 1851, John Kitto, The Journal of sacred literature, Oxford University, page 296:
   • Nonetheless, in some unsayable way, value sentences are about values and reflect the structure of values. 1938, G. E. Moore, Ethics, University of Chicago Press, page 215:
2. (rare) Not allowed or not fit to be said.
   • His task: to say the unsayable. To say all the words we have normally suppressed and to say them and say them and say them. 1971 June 6, Walter Kerr, “Lenny Lost His Cool . . . (review of Lenny, about comedian Lenny Bruce)”, in New York Times, page D3:
   • In Oakland, Rachel Blau's lawn is green because it rained recently. But if there's no rain, "we let it go," she says, bravely adding the unsayable "I don't care how it looks." 1991 June 3, John Skow, “Can Lawns Be Justified?”, in Time:
   • He was sacked, rather, for, saying the unsayable: for telling the truth. 2007 March 17, “Talking points: Racism and the cult of knee-jerk outrage”, in The Week, number 605, page 20:

Forms

Deriveds

unsayableness · unsayably

Synonyms

ineffable · taboo (not allowed or not fit to be said) · inexpressible (not capable of being said) · unspeakable (not allowed or not fit to be said) · unspeakable · unutterable

Translations (2)

es indecible (Translations) · fr indicible (Translations)