"unsayable" meaning in All languages combined

See unsayable on Wiktionary

Adjective [English]

Forms: more unsayable [comparative], most unsayable [superlative]
Etymology: un- + sayable Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|un|sayable}} un- + sayable Head templates: {{en-adj}} unsayable (comparative more unsayable, superlative most unsayable)
  1. (philosophy) Not capable of being said. Categories (topical): Philosophy Synonyms (not capable of being said): inexpressible
    Sense id: en-unsayable-en-adj-VqrpYxXh Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences Disambiguation of 'not capable of being said': 75 25
  2. (rare) Not allowed or not fit to be said. Tags: rare Synonyms (not allowed or not fit to be said): taboo, unspeakable Translations (Translations): indicible (French), indecible (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-unsayable-en-adj-1qmNmWh~ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with un- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 62 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with un-: 43 57 Disambiguation of 'not allowed or not fit to be said': 14 86 Disambiguation of 'Translations': 41 59
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: unspeakable, unutterable, ineffable Derived forms: unsayableness, unsayably

Download JSON data for unsayable meaning in All languages combined (3.9kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unsayableness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unsayably"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un",
        "3": "sayable"
      },
      "expansion": "un- + sayable",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "un- + sayable",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more unsayable",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most unsayable",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "unsayable (comparative more unsayable, superlative most unsayable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Philosophy",
          "orig": "en:Philosophy",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1851, John Kitto, The Journal of sacred literature, Oxford University, page 296",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1938, G. E. Moore, Ethics, University of Chicago Press, page 215",
          "text": "Nonetheless, in some unsayable way, value sentences are about values and reflect the structure of values.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Daniel Fidel Ferrer, Philosophical Aphorisms: Critical Encounters with Heidegger and Nietzsche, page 97",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not capable of being said."
      ],
      "id": "en-unsayable-en-adj-VqrpYxXh",
      "links": [
        [
          "philosophy",
          "philosophy"
        ],
        [
          "said",
          "said"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(philosophy) Not capable of being said."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "75 25",
          "sense": "not capable of being said",
          "word": "inexpressible"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 57",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with un-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1971 June 6, Walter Kerr, “Lenny Lost His Cool . . . (review of Lenny, about comedian Lenny Bruce)”, in New York Times, page D3",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1991 June 3, John Skow, “Can Lawns Be Justified?”, in Time",
          "text": "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.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007 March 17, “Talking points: Racism and the cult of knee-jerk outrage”, in The Week, number 605, page 20",
          "text": "He was sacked, rather, for, saying the unsayable: for telling the truth.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not allowed or not fit to be said."
      ],
      "id": "en-unsayable-en-adj-1qmNmWh~",
      "links": [
        [
          "allow",
          "allow"
        ],
        [
          "fit",
          "fit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Not allowed or not fit to be said."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "sense": "not allowed or not fit to be said",
          "word": "taboo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "14 86",
          "sense": "not allowed or not fit to be said",
          "word": "unspeakable"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "41 59",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "indicible"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "41 59",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "indecible"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unspeakable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unutterable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ineffable"
    }
  ],
  "word": "unsayable"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms prefixed with un-",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "unsayableness"
    },
    {
      "word": "unsayably"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un",
        "3": "sayable"
      },
      "expansion": "un- + sayable",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "un- + sayable",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more unsayable",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most unsayable",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "unsayable (comparative more unsayable, superlative most unsayable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Philosophy"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1851, John Kitto, The Journal of sacred literature, Oxford University, page 296",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1938, G. E. Moore, Ethics, University of Chicago Press, page 215",
          "text": "Nonetheless, in some unsayable way, value sentences are about values and reflect the structure of values.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Daniel Fidel Ferrer, Philosophical Aphorisms: Critical Encounters with Heidegger and Nietzsche, page 97",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not capable of being said."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "philosophy",
          "philosophy"
        ],
        [
          "said",
          "said"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(philosophy) Not capable of being said."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1971 June 6, Walter Kerr, “Lenny Lost His Cool . . . (review of Lenny, about comedian Lenny Bruce)”, in New York Times, page D3",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1991 June 3, John Skow, “Can Lawns Be Justified?”, in Time",
          "text": "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.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007 March 17, “Talking points: Racism and the cult of knee-jerk outrage”, in The Week, number 605, page 20",
          "text": "He was sacked, rather, for, saying the unsayable: for telling the truth.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not allowed or not fit to be said."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "allow",
          "allow"
        ],
        [
          "fit",
          "fit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Not allowed or not fit to be said."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "not capable of being said",
      "word": "inexpressible"
    },
    {
      "word": "unspeakable"
    },
    {
      "word": "unutterable"
    },
    {
      "word": "ineffable"
    },
    {
      "sense": "not allowed or not fit to be said",
      "word": "taboo"
    },
    {
      "sense": "not allowed or not fit to be said",
      "word": "unspeakable"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "indicible"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "indecible"
    }
  ],
  "word": "unsayable"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.