incompossible

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

incompossible (in-kom-POS-si-buhl) - adj., not possible together, wholly incompatible or inconsistent.


A stronger word than incompatible, which suggests that two things can't be with each other ("not congruent" as one dictionary puts it) -- incompossible suggests not just they can't be in proximity but can't both exist at the same time. Not rare if not obsolete, which is a pity as sometimes you want a stronger word than incompatible. From Latin incompossibilis, but possibly under the influence of French incompossible -- the roots break down as in-, not + com-, together + possibilis, possible, from posse, to be able.

I told my kids last week about the engagement -- Brad just sorta shrugged but Charlene still refuses to accept it, insisting that she and Felicity are incompossible and she'll never accept her as her mother.


Administrivia: I won't be able to post next Thursday -- can any of our eager volunteer backups take over for the 7th of October?

---L.

Comments

[ioanna-ioannina.livejournal.com]

For me it sounds rather as an early medieval custom of multiplying the prepositions than French influence.

"a stronger word than incompatible" - thanks for this info, that is exacly what I need. It is difficult to "feel" how strong which word is in a foreign language.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

By "influence" I meant more that it was borrowed from Latin after the example of French.

Late Latin prefix pileups can be amusing, yes.

---L.

[ioanna-ioannina.livejournal.com]

Now you got me wandering... was the time when English people knew Latin the best, because the rest of the world was still thinking the language(s) they were speaking was Latin (Meroveian Latin) before, or after the time of multiple prefixes?
Hmm... before, I think.
So you are right. It could come indirectly, through French.

Yes, they are very amusing. "If it is longer, it is more Latin." :-D