ἄρρητος

English (LSJ)

ον, also η, ον E.Hec.201:—

   A unspoken, ἔπος προέηκεν ὅ πέρ τ' ἄρρητον ἄμεινον Od.14.466; ἄνδρες . . ῥητοί τ' ἄ. τε Hes.Op.4; ἔστω ἄ. τὰ εἰρημένα Pl.Smp.189b, etc., cf. Aeschin.3.217; οὐκ ἐπ' ἀρρήτοις γε τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις not without warning spoken by me, S.Ant.556; ἄ. κἀτελῆ φυλάξομαι Id.El.1012. Adv. -τως, σιγᾶν Arist.Fr.44 codd. (ἀρρήκτως Reiske, ἀρράτως Bernays).    II that cannot be spoken or expressed, ἀδιανόητον καὶ ἄ. καὶ ἄφθεγκτον καὶ ἄλογον Pl.Sph.238c: hence, unspeakable, immense, App.BC3.4; ἐπιθυμία Phld.Ir.p.50 W.; εὐχαριστία Id.Lib.p.51 O.    III not to be spoken: hence,    1 not to be divulged, ἱροργίαι, ἱρά, Hdt.5.83, 6.135; σέβας ἀρρήτων ἱερῶν Ar. Nu.302; ἄ. σφάγια E.IT41; ἄ. ἀβακχεύτοισιν εἰδέναι Id.Ba.472; διδακτά τε ἄρρητά τ', i.e.things profane and sacred, S.OT301; ἄ. κόρη the maid whom none may name (i.e. Persephone), E.Fr.63, cf. Hel. 1307; ἀρρήτων θέσμια, sc. of Demeter and Persephone, IG3.713.6.    2 unutterable, horrible, δεῖπνα S.El.203 (lyr.); λώβη E.Hec.200 (lyr.); ἄρρητ' ἀρρήτων 'deeds without a name', S.OT465 (lyr.).    3 shameful to be spoken, ῥητόν τ' ἄ. τ' ἔπος Id.OC1001, cf.Aj.214 (lyr.), 773; ῥητὰ καὶ ἄ. ὀνομάζων 'dicenda tacenda locutus', D.18.122; πάντας ἡμᾶς ῥητὰ καὶ ἄ. κακὰ ἐξεῖπον Id.21.79. Adv. -τως D.L.7.187.    IV of numbers, ἄρρητα, τά, irrationals, surds, opp. ῥητά, Pl.Hp.Ma.303b, cf. R.546c.