We explain what the ineffable is, its various meanings, how it is expressed and the origin of the term. Also, famous phrases about the ineffable.
What is the ineffable?
The ineffable It is that which cannot be talked about, that cannot be said or cannot be explained with words.. Generally we use it to refer to something that is too subtle, abstract or diffuse, or to experiences that are too overwhelming or shocking, which resist being expressed with language.
This term comes from Latin ineffabilismodern voice of the adjective inexfabiliswhich is derived from the prefixes in, exand the verb fari (“say”). That is, “what cannot be expressed.”
It is a term commonly used to refer to that which is “unnameable” (that is, taboo), such as in the Christian imagination the name of the Devil, or even death itself, or the name of God, which the Hebrews ancients transcribed as YHWH is replaced when reading by Adonai (“The Lord”) or HaShem (“The name”).
The ineffable can also refer to something lacking logic, or paradoxical, or too complex to be mentally organized and expressed in words.
From this point of view, many philosophers have used the term to refer to a certain existential aspect of life, that is, to a certain point of view on existence that is very complex to transmit in an organized way, and that therefore can only be expressed through metaphors or replacements, as occurs in art and poetry.
See also: Figurative sense
Phrases about the ineffable
Some famous phrases about the ineffable are:
- “The ineffable perhaps provides the background on which what I might express acquires meaning” – Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher.
- “Telling the truth is impossible; either it is nefarious, or it is ineffable” – María Zambrano, writer.
- “As a consumer of paint, I believe that its great role is precisely to provide the space that can be ineffable” – Le Corbusier, architect.
Continue with: Ambiguity
References
- “Ineffable” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Etymology of Ineffable” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “Ineffable” in Wiktionary.
- “Negative theology” on Wikipedia.
- “Ineffability” on Wikipedia (English).
