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.).