untranslatable
/ˈʌnˌtɹænz.leɪt.ə.bəl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.88 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Not able to be translated.
noun
A word or phrase that is impossible to translate satisfactorily from one language to another.
Example Sentences
- "They referred to de Gaulle as a chienlit, a totally untranslatable term that suggests defecation in bed."
- "This glyph's data contains references to energy conversion or respiration; however, it may also be describing a transformation via some untranslatable process. It pays close attention to mass-energy equivalence, though the ratios are strange."
- "In translating untranslatable words, there is a need to use a sentence or phrase before the message can be passed across."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English translate Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English translatable English untranslatable From un- + translatable.
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˈʌnˌtɹænz.leɪt.ə.bəl/