Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Ineffability
To say that something is "ineffable" means that it cannot or should not be spoken.
- "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." - Ludwig Wittgenstein
- "If a person can't communicate, the very least he can do is to shut up." - Tom Lehrer
Things that are said to be ineffable include:
- The Tetragrammaton, or Yahweh (by orthodox Jewish tradition)
- Names of various villains in works of fiction, e.g. Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter books or the "Dark One" in The Wheel of Time sequence.
- The nature of qualia (sensory experiences)
- The nature of spiritual experiences
Last updated: 08-14-2005 05:52:04
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details