incoherent
UK[ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərənt]US[ˌɪnkoʊˈhɪrənt]
adj
not logical or well organized; not expressed clearly
adj
unable to express yourself clearly, often because of emotion
Morpheme Breakdown
in
co
herent
in
not
co
together
herent
sticking
Etymology
the word 'incoherent' is built from latin components. the core root is the latin verb 'haerere', meaning 'to stick or adhere', which evolved into the english word 'coherent', signifying things that 'stick together' logically. the prefix 'co-' intensifies this sense of 'sticking together'. by adding the negative prefix 'in-', the meaning is reversed to 'not sticking together'. thus, the literal notion of physical separation evolved into the modern abstract meaning describing speech, thought, or arguments that are disjointed, illogical, and lack a unifying connection.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + co (together) + herent (sticking)
in- (latin, prefix meaning 'not'); co- (latin, variant of 'com-', meaning 'together'); herent (latin, from 'haerere', meaning 'to stick or cling').
Examples
he was feverish and incoherent.
the essay was a long, incoherent rant.
she broke down, sobbing incoherently.