# the etymology and meaning of "inenarrabĭlis"?



## Maeskizzle

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could explain the etymology and meaning of the latin word "inenarrabĭlis"?  I think it´s a synonym of inefable and by the structure of the word, it looks like it means "un - narratible" or something of that nature.  Is that right? Or does it mean something else?
Thank you.


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## clara mente

Let's break this word up first, piece by piece, and then it should make more sense to you.
"in"- a prefix used to signify negation, i.e. "non-/ not" or "un".
"abilis" is adjectival suffix meaning "able to".
" enarra" is the root of this adjective, coming from the verb "enarro,are" meaning to "explain."
Hence, the final meaning "inexplicable".


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## Anne345

and _enarro _comes from _ex narro_ 
_ex_ : out of, from 
_narro_ are : to make known, tell


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## virgilio

Maeskizzle,
              Your translation is just about right.
  in - e -narra -bil -is
(1) in - negative prefix                                         (not)
(2) ê  - long "e" standing for the adverbial prefix "ex" (completely)
(3) narra  - stem and characteristic vowel of "narrare" (recount)
(4) bil  - thought by some to be etymologically related to Turkish verb "bilmek" (to know) -                                        (to know how to / to be able)
(5) is adjectival termination

Hence, literally "not knowing complete recounting" or "which cannot be fully recounted".
So you're "ineffable" just about hits the mark.

Congratulations
Virgilio


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## Outsider

Would "unspeakable" be a better translation, by any chance?


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## Whodunit

Outsider said:


> Would "unspeakable" be a better translation, by any chance?


 
The meaning, according to my dictionary, is something like _indescribable_.

As for the etymology:

in- > goes back to the IE root *_n-_ (negation particle)
enarrare > a compound of _ex_ (IE: *_eĝhs_) and narrare (IE: *_ĝen_-) meaning "to tell completely"
-(a)bilis > suffix expressing ability, capacity etc., maybe from IE *_-tro_-?


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## Outsider

Whodunit said:


> enarrare > a compound of _ex_ (IE: *_e?hs_) and narrare (IE: *_?en_-) meaning "to tell completely"


Or simply "to narrate".


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## Whodunit

Outsider said:


> Or simply "to narrate".


 
No, my translation referred to _*e*narrare_, not _narrare_. 

Your translation would be correct for the latter, but the former means something like _to explain in detail/to tell completely_, therefore the prefix _e(x)-._


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## virgilio

outsider and whodunit,
                              The adjective "unspeakable" is used only of bad things.
Winston Churchill is said to have once met Lady Astor, as he was leaving the House of Commons bar, slightly unsteady on his feet:
Lady Astor: Mr Churchill! You are drunk, unspeakably drunk!
Winston Churchill: Madam, you are ugly, unspeakably ugly! But I shall be sober in the morning! 

"Indescribable", I'm afraid, is little better. It almost always describes something bad.
 Of course, the "inenarrabilis" may - for all I know - have been describing something bad. If so, I would suggest a fuller translation "such as cannot be recounted in all its detail"
Virgilio


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## Maeskizzle

Thank you for your definitions.  They are quite helpful.


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