unmentionable
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Meaning
too embarrassing, offensive, or shocking to be spoken about.
Structure
Usage
in victorian times, a leg was considered an unmentionable part of the body.
the details of the scandal were deemed unmentionable in polite company.
he alluded to unmentionable horrors he had witnessed during the war.
Etymology
The word "unmentionable" is a Modern English formation built from classical components. The core, "mention," derives from Latin mentionem, meaning "a calling to mind, a speaking of," from the verb minisci, "to think." The prefix "un-," of Germanic origin, is a prolific negator in English. The suffix "-able," from Latin -abilis, indicates a capacity or quality. Thus, the literal construction "not capable of being spoken of" directly and logically yields the modern sense of something considered too taboo, improper, or embarrassing to name.
Analysis
un- (old english, a prefix meaning "not"); mention (latin, a root meaning "to speak of, name"); -able (latin, a suffix forming adjectives meaning "capable of, fit for").