unable

▪ I. unable, a.
    (ʌnˈeɪb(ə)l)
    Forms: α. 4–7 unhable, (6 Sc. wnhable, unhabil). β. 4– unable, 5 unabille, -abyll(e, -abull, 5–6 unabil(l; 5 onable, 6 -abil.
    [un-¹ 7 + able a., after OF. inhabile or L. inhabilis inhabile a. Cf. MDu. onabel.]
    1. Not able, not having ability or power, to do or perform (undergo or experience) something specified. (Chiefly of persons.)

α c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 422 Al þes þat han chirchis aproprid faylen of þis trewe seruyss herfore, & þus þei ben vnhable to preye, but preyen aȝen þer oune hed. 1552 Latimer Serm. Gosp. vi. 190 The person of the Church is ignoraunt and unhable to teach the word of God. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. iv. 23 Vnfit he was for any worldly thing And eke vnhable once to stirre or go. 1596 Ibid. vi. i. 16 Me first he tooke, vnhable to withstond.

β 1382 Wyclif Isaiah xl. 20 The stronge tree, and the vnable to roten ches the wise craftes man. c 1420 Lydg. Ballad Commend. Our Lady 15 Alas! unworthy I am and unable To love suche oon. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 119 My witt vnabill is To runsik sic, for dreid I say off myss. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 98 Thou shalte make thy selfe vnable to ryse and growe in goostlynesse. 1598 Yong Diana 57 To tell you now the life, that I led in his absence,..my toong is far vnable. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxx. 181 Many men..become unable to maintain themselves by their labour. 1700 Prior Carm. Sec. xxiii, Lost in trackless Fields of shining Day, Unable to discern the Way. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 402 As they are unable to escape by flight, the hunters..easily overpower them. 1836 Thirlwall Greece III. xvii. 3 The Persian governor, unable to hold out, and disdaining to surrender, set fire to the town. 1891 Farrar Darkn. & Dawn xx, Panting with wrath, he was unable even to return the greeting of Nero.

    b. Const. for or to (with ns.).

(a) 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 109 Gif he be ane unworthy persone, and unhable tharto,..he degradis him. a 1470 H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) v. xviii. 220/1 Though his woodnes passe yet he is yrreguler & unable to goddes aulter. 1513 Life Henry V (1911) 83 The Kinge his father, who at that time was lymited, was vnable to the charge of the realme.

(b) 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 382 He was maymed with the stroke of an horse in his youth, and so made unhable for the governaunce of the Realme. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. i. i. (1622) 2 Agrippa they accounted..yoong, and raw in state matters; vnable for so great a charge. 1668 Wilkins Real Char. ii. i. §4. 41 Either by restoring what is due, or by being rendred unable for it. 1841 Chambers Pop. Rhymes Scotl. (1870) 76 She could not spin at all, and found herself quite unable for it.

    † c. Used attributively with to following the noun. Obs. rare.

1560 Pilkington Expos. Aggeus (1562) 59 An unable priest to teach, is good to nothinge in that kynde of lyfe or ministerye. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia i. xii. (1912) 80 Those troblesome effects..be not the faults of love, but of him that loves; as an unable vessel to beare such a licour. c 1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) II. 141, I stand an unable man to determine of either opinion.

    d. Not knowing, ignorant. rare^—1.

a 1721 Eusden in Addison's Cato A.'s Misc. Wks. 1721 I. 267 Silent we stand, unable where to praise.

    2. Of persons: Lacking ability in some implied respect; incompetent, inefficient.

1395 Purvey Remonstr. (1851) 112 It is gouernid by symonient bisshopis and vnable curatis. 1407 William of Thorpe in Foxe A. & M. (1570) I. 648/2 These vnable priestes haue bene, and yet are, and shalbe, chiefe cause of pestilence of men. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. (1811) 548 Weale I wote, and knowlege, and deme myselfe to be and haue ben vnsuffycyent and vnable and also vnprofytable. 1544 Betham Precepts War i. cxcviii. I vj b, To sende forth thyne vnable souldyours.. to be as a bayte..to thyne enemyes. 1612 Brinsley Lud. Lit. p iv, This indeuor..thus vndertaken by me the vnablest of many thousands. 1668 R. Steele Husbandman's Calling v. (1672) 139 What if I leave a shiftless wife, and unable children behind me? 1710 Shaftesbury Charac., Adv. Author (1737) I. 224 The greatest actions lose their force, and perish in the custody of unable and mean writers. a 1774 Goldsm. Hist. Greece II. 167 No hopes of succour from such unable protectors. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Manners ¶8, I hesitated to read and threw out for its impertinence many a disparaging phrase..about poor, thin, unable mortals. 1877 Owen Wellesley's Desp. p. xxvii, What would become of the system in unable hands?

    b. Of faculties, actions, etc.: Characterized by want of ability; inefficient, ineffectual.

1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. i. (Skeat) l. 171 If any thing be insufficient or els mislyking, wyte that the leudnesse of myne unable conning. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxxi. 315, I..have ben..at many a faire Dede of Armes (alle be it that I dide none my self, for myn unable insuffisance). 1584 Constable Diana vii. vi, A dombe restraint Breakes forth in teares from mine unable mind. 1633 Cowley Constantia & Philetus To Rdr. ii, As shee my vnabler quill did guide, Her briny teares did on the paper fall. a 1699 J. Beaumont Psyche xxi. lxxv, I..see thee more By this unable and denying Sight, Than they [etc.]. 1795 Burke Abridgm. Eng. Hist. Wks. 1842 II. 523 Vortigern..opposed a mixture of timid war and unable negociation.

    † 3. a. Of persons: Incapable of, not qualified for, some position. Obs.

c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 465 Þat pope þat fayliþ heere oþer for kunnyng or for wille is vnhable to take to pope & lede his floc. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 202 His nase of and his lippes bothe He kutte, for he wolde him lothe Unto the poeple and make unable. 1426 Lydg. De Guil Pilgr. 5108 But I sawh ther in presence, Somme pressen to the table That wer vnworthy & vnhable.

    † b. Of things: Unfit or unsuitable for some purpose. Obs.

1390 Gower Conf. III. 104 Which of the poeple be for⁓lete As lond desert that is unable, For it mai noght ben habitable. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 222 Diuide hit thus: that fatte & bering, able, Let plowe hit vp, & leef the lene, vnable, Couert in woode. 1444 Maldon (Essex) Rec. Liber ‘A.’ fol. 32 b, Item, that no bocher sle, ne selle, none vnhable flessh.

    † 4. a. Not able to be (done); impossible. Obs.

c 1400 Destr. Troy Prol. 46 How goddes foght in the filde, folke as þai were, And other errours vnable þat after were knowen, That poyetis of prise have preuyt vntrew. 1548 Geste Pr. Masse 78 The wyche, as it is an attempte too unreasonable and unable, so passynge wycked, presumptuouse and detestable. 1567 Reg. Privy Council Scot. l. 512 How unabill it salbe to the nobilitie..alwayis to abyde and continew at Court.

    † b. Awkward; unlucky. Obs.^—1

1572 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxi. 94 Sen Fortoun, with a Reill, Hes wrocht thame ane vnabill charr.

    5. Lacking in physical ability or strength; incapable of much bodily exertion; weak, feeble. In later use Sc.

1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 144 b, Hee waxeth feeble, and vnable, before he bee sixe yeeres olde. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. v. 4 When saplesse Age, and weake vnable limbes Should bring thy Father to his drooping Chaire. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. iii. i. ii, I haue an old grimme sire to my husband as bald as a gourde, as little and as vnable as a child. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T. Matt. xxv. 46 This doth not extend to condemn Infants or poor unable persons for not doing what they could not. 1764 Goldsm. Hist. Eng. in Lett. (1772) I. 168 Though unable by disease, yet they recompensed the defect by valour. 1818 Scott Br. Lamm. xv, Those unarmed and unable Mephibosheths, that are sure to be a burden to every one that takes them up. 1858–61 J. Brown Horæ Subs. (1863) 163 No one could have suffered from..the misery of an unable body. 1896 Crockett Grey Man iv, He..was ever thereafter unable of his legs.

transf. 1601 R. Yarington Two Lament. Trag. i. ii. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, We do assure us of your love And care to guide his weake unhable youth In pathes of knowledge. 1607 Heywood Wom. Killed w. Kindn. (1617) C 2 b, Sir I accept it, and remaine indebted Euen to the best of my vnable power.

▪ II. † unˈable, v. Obs.
    Also 5 unabyl, 6 -abill; 5–6 unhable.
    [un-² 6 a, or f. unable a.]
    1. trans. To render unable, to unfit or incapacitate, to do something. Sometimes spec. in Law: To make legally incapable.

c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 147 Myche more shulde worldely lordship unable men now to take þis Goost. c 1400 Destr. Troy 9423 He woundit hym wickedly in his wale face, And vnablit after with angur to fight. a 1470 Harding Chron. clvii. iii, This Edmond thelder soonne of Kyng Henry, Broke backed and bowbacked bore, Was vnabled to haue the monarche. 1567–9 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 195 Then doth it [the vow] not of necessitie and fine force vnable a man to contract Matrimonie. 1613 Sherley Trav. Persia 32 The eldest son of the King remained at the Court of his father, administring all that, which his fathers defect of light vnabled him to doe. 1640 Habington Edw. IV, 67 They..had been unabled to pay their usuall tribute to the King. a 1774 Goldsm. Hist. Greece I. 207 Until both were utterly unabled to withstand the smallest efforts of foreign invasion.

refl. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 191 Þei vnablen hem self to do þe office of prestis. c 1380 ― Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 36 Þre ordris in Cristis tyme unabliden hem to be of þis rewme.

    b. Const. to (or of) an action, office, etc.

a 1395 Hylton Scala Perf. ii. xv. (W. de W. 1494), How louers of this worlde unable hem in dyuers maners to the refourmyng of her owne soule. a 1470 H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) i. xxxviii. 79/1 He sholde be pryued of his benefyce yf that he hadde ony. Yf he had no benefyce he sholde be unabled and dysposed therto. 1560 Knox Bk. Common Order (1901) 20 The crimes and vices that might unable them of the Ministry.

    2. Without const.: To unfit or incapacitate, to deprive of ability or power, in some respect; to disable physically.

c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 105 Siþ he..wiþdrawiþ never his grace, but ȝif man unable him selfe. Ibid. 219 As distempour of þe eir shal sle men and unable þe erþe. c 1450 in Aungier Syon (1840) 281 Whom euerychone and eche trespasyng in the premysses, we unable for euermore in the selfdede doyng. 1503 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 547/1 To the use, profitte or behove of any persone or persones by this Acte not attaynted nor unabled. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 80, I through pangs vncoth vnhabled, With stutting stamering at leingth thus fumbled an aunswer. a 1641 Bp. R. Montagu Acts & Mon. (1642) 285 That old Leacher, worne out and unabled, though he dyed his haire black that he might seeme to be young. 1654 Gayton Pleas. Notes iii. v. 100 That is to say, with three hard words, un-mule, un-leg, and un-able, Alanso Lopez. 1775 Johnson Let. in Boswell (1831) III. 255 Poor Lucy Porter has her hand in a bag, so unabled by the gout that she cannot dress herself.

    b. To annul or cancel. rare^—1.

1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xxi. §134 Hee prepared himselfe to make his Wil, wherein howsoeuer titles had been vnhabled in Parliaments, he ordained his three children to succeede each after others.

    Hence † unˈabling vbl. n. Obs.

1475 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 147/2 As if the said Acte of atteyndre or unablyng never had been made. 1503 Ibid. 548.

Oxford English Dictionary