| 释义 |
† unaˈbility Obs.
Also 5–6 unabilite, 6 -itie, -itye; 6–7 unhabilitie, 6 -habylytee, Sc. wnhabilietie.
[un-1 12, after OF. inhabilité (14th c.) or med.L. inhabilitas inability.]
The quality of being unable; inability. Freq. const. for, of, to, etc.
c1400Apol. Loll. 28 Þer ontrowþ, and vndisposicoun, and vnabilite to reseyue. 1509Fisher Serm. Wks. (1876) 268, I knowe well myne vnworthynes & vnhabylytees to this so grete a mater. 1565Stapleton Fortr. Faith 122 b, S. Basill excuseth him selfe of vnabilite to extoll sufficiently the vocation of couent Monkes. 1617R. Wilkinson Barwick Bridge 31 The highest stile of praise is to professe our unability of expressing. 1644Quarles Barnabas & B. (1651) 223 Thy unability for the work prophesies the impossibility of the reward. 1711in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. V. 152 They alleadge for their justification an unability in stopping the foe. 1769in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. (1914) XIV. 149 Not admitting any Solace but when constrain'd by an absolute Unability. |