Ineffability

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Distinguish Template:One source Ineffability is the quality of something that surpasses the capacity of language to express it, often being in the form of a taboo or incomprehensible term.<ref name="stanford">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> This property is commonly associated with philosophy,<ref>Nikoletseas, M.M. (2014) "Parmenides in Apophatic Philosophy" Template:Isbn</ref> theology, aspects of existence, and similar concepts that are inherently "too great", complex or abstract to be communicated adequately.<ref>Nikoletseas, M.M. (2016) "Parmenides: The World as Modus Cogitandi: Third Edition" Template:Isbn</ref> Illogical statements, principles, reasons and arguments may be considered intrinsically ineffable along with impossibilities, contradictions and paradoxes.

An object, event or concept is ineffable if it cannot adequately be expressed by the use of natural language.<ref>Nikoletseas, M.M. (2014) "Parmenides in Apophatic Philosophy" Template:Isbn</ref>

The term (Latin: ineffābilis) is composed of the prefix in-, meaning 'not', and adjective effābilis, meaning 'capable of being expressed'. In Greek, ἄρρητος (α depritive + ῥητὸς) means 'what cannot or should not be spoken of'.

Terminology describing the nature of experience cannot be conveyed properly in dualistic symbolic language; it is believed that this knowledge is only held by the individual from which it originates. Profanity and vulgarisms can easily and clearly be stated, but by those who believe they should not be said, they are considered ineffable. Thus, one method of describing something that is ineffable is by using apophasis, i.e. describing what it is not, rather than what it is. An example is the name of God in Judaism, written as YHWH but substituted with Adonai ("the Lord") or HaShem ("the name") when reading.

In the Roman Catholic Church

The ineffability about God is affirmed by the First Vatican Council's apostolic constitution Dei Filius: Template:Quote

God's ineffability deals with His being infinite, invisible and incomprehensible.

This dogmatic definition comes from a longtime tradition: Tertullian, Athenagoras of Athens, and Clement of Alexandria believed that ineffability is a property of God.<ref>Template:Cite journal. Quote: "For Athenagoras and Tertullian, God is the truly real, one, eternal or timeless, ineffable and impassible...If it is supposed that biblical texts and Greek sources have similar meaning, Clement described God as invisible, ineffable, inexpressible by human concepts, indivisible, infinite, bearing no figure, time, movement, place or name."</ref>

See also

• Atopy (philosophy)
• Apophatic (or "negative") theology
• Creator ineffabilis (Christian prayer)
• Ideasthesia
• Implicit knowledge
• Meaning (linguistics)
• True name
• Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent