unforgivable
Meaning
so bad or unacceptable that it cannot be forgiven or excused.
Structure
Usage
betraying a friend's trust is an unforgivable act.
the critic found the film's plot holes unforgivable.
he considered her harsh words unforgivable and ended the friendship.
Etymology
The word "unforgivable" is a layered English construction. Its core, "forgive," originates from Old English forgiefan, a compound of for- (completely) and giefan (to give), literally meaning "to give completely" or "to grant pardon." The suffix "-able," borrowed from Latin via French, attaches to verbs to form adjectives meaning "capable of being [verbed]." Finally, the Old English negative prefix "un-" is added to negate the entire concept, creating a word that means "not capable of being pardoned." This logical assembly from distinct morphemes provides a clear, compositional meaning accessible to learners.
Analysis
un- (old english, a prefix meaning "not"); forgive (old english, from the compound forgiefan, meaning "to give, grant, pardon"); -able (latin via old french, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "capable of, worthy of").