unforgivably
unforgivably
UK[ˌʌnfəˈɡɪvəbli]US[ˌʌnfərˈɡɪvəbli]
adv
in a way that is so bad or unacceptable that it cannot be forgiven or excused
Morpheme Breakdown
un
forgive
ably
un
not
forgive
pardon
ably
in a manner of
Etymology
the word "unforgivably" is built upon the core concept of "forgiving," which originates from the old english forgiefan, meaning "to give or grant completely." the prefix "un-" negates this action, creating the adjective "unforgivable," meaning "not capable of being pardoned." the suffix "-ably," derived from latin -abilis through french, then converts this adjective into an adverb, describing the manner of an action that is so egregious it is beyond the scope of pardon. thus, the word's literal construction logically progresses from the act of giving pardon, to the negation of that possibility, and finally to the adverbial form describing such an absolute state.
Analysis
Structure: un (not) + forgive (pardon) + ably (in a manner of)
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," forming a negative.
- forgive: a verb of old english origin, from forgiefan, meaning "to give, grant, pardon."
- ably: an adverbial suffix of latin origin (via old french), from -abilis, meaning "capable of, worthy of," used to form adverbs from adjectives ending in -able.
Examples
he acted unforgivably by betraying their trust.
the mistake was simple, but her reaction was unforgivably harsh.
the documentary portrays how the regime unforgivably neglected its people.