ineffabilityn.
/ɪnɛfəˈbɪlɪti/ The quality of being ineffable; unspeakableness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > inexpressibility > [noun]
unspeakablenessa1586
incommunicableness1615
ineffability1629
incommunicability1640
unexpressibleness1652
ineffableness1681
unutterableness1681
inexpressibleness1727
unexpressibility1817
indescribability1824
inexpressibility1826
unspeakability1845
unnameability1862
indescribableness1880
the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > nature or attributes of God > [noun] > other attributes
ineffability1629
nunc stans1651
indemonstrability1847
separativeness1901
1629 J. Gaule Practique Theories Christs Predict. 51 Amazed at the incomprehensiblenesse, and ineffabilitie of such his Birth and Being.
1652 E. Benlowes Theophila xiii. xlvii. 241 With Joyes Ineffabilitie.
1721 in N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict.
1755 in S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. ; and in mod. Dicts.
1902 W. James Varieties Relig. Experience xvi. 381 Ineffability... Noetic quality... These two characters will entitle any state to be called mystical, in the sense in which I use the word.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses iii. xvii. [Ithaca] 676 The supernatural character of Judaic scripture: the ineffability of the tetragrammation [sic]: the sanctity of the sabbath.
1961 M. Laski Ecstasy xxii. 243 When ineffable, etc. is attached to a noun, ‘supreme of its kind’..seems always to be implied. The ineffability device is particularly common among religious writers.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
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n.1629