unsupportable

unsupportable

UK[ˌʌnsəˈpɔːtəbl]US[ˌʌnsəˈpɔːrtəbl]
adj

Not able to be endured or tolerated.

adj

Not able to be upheld or defended.

Morpheme Breakdown

un
support
able
un

not

support

hold up

able

capable of

Etymology

The word 'unsupportable' is a layered construction built upon the core Latin verb supportare, which literally meant "to carry from below." This evolved into the English verb 'support,' carrying both physical and metaphorical senses of bearing a weight or upholding an argument. The suffix '-able,' of Latin origin, was added to form 'supportable,' meaning "capable of being borne or defended." Finally, the Germanic prefix 'un-' was attached to negate the entire concept, resulting in the modern meaning of something that cannot be endured or justified. The term's logic moves from a concrete image of physical bearing to an abstract assessment of tolerability or validity.

Analysis

Structure: un (not) + support (hold up) + able (capable of) - un: A prefix of Germanic origin (Old English) meaning "not," used to give a negative force. - support: A verb from Latin supportare (sub- "from below" + portare "to carry"), meaning "to bear, hold up, or sustain." - able: A suffix from Latin -abilis, forming adjectives meaning "capable of, fit for, or tending to."

Examples

The pain from his injury was unsupportable without strong medication.

The lawyer argued that the witness's testimony was unsupportable by the available evidence.

She found the humidity in the tropical city almost unsupportable.