Where does “unutterable” come from?
Unutterable derives from English utterable, from English utter, from English out, from Proto-Indo-European óynos, ano-, and h₂ent-, meaning "not able to be expressed in words."
unutterable (English): Not utterable; incapable of being spoken or...
Definitions
- Not utterable; incapable of being spoken or...
Ancestry of “unutterable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | utterable | Capable of being expressed in words, especially... |
| 2 | English | utter | Outer; furthest out, most remote; Outward;... |
| 3 | Middle English | outre | — |
| 4 | Old English | ūtera | outer |
| 5 | Old English | ūt | out |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *ūt | out, outward |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ūt | out, outward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |