Unthinkable
/ʌnˈθɪŋ.kə.bəl/noun
Impossible to imagine or accept; beyond belief.
Did you know?The core of this word is the ancient Germanic idea of thought as something you literally “weigh” in the mind, which is why its history feels so mental and almost ritualistic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tong-
“To think, perceive, or feel mentally”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þankijanan
“To think, consider, or feel gratitude”
Old English
English
þencan
“To think, meditate, consider”
Old English
English
un- + þencan
“Not think; lacking the ability or willingness to think”
Middle English
English
unthinkable
“Impossible to think or conceive”
Modern English
English
unthinkable
“Impossible to imagine or accept”