noun-modifying (irregular)
indescribable; inexpressible; exquisite
Used prenominally to describe something so wonderful, beautiful, or profound that it cannot be put into words. Often carries a poetic or literary feel.
えも言われぬ美しさに心を奪われた。
I was captivated by an indescribable beauty.
その景色はえも言われぬほど素晴らしかった。
The scenery was so wonderful it defied description.
More literal and everyday expression meaning 'cannot express in words'; lacks the poetic nuance of えも言われぬ.
Formal and emphatic, meaning 'beyond the power of words or writing'; stronger and more literary than えも言われぬ.
From classical Japanese え (adverbial particle meaning 'can') + も (inclusive particle) + 言われぬ (negative potential form of 言う 'to say'), literally 'cannot even be said'. The exact derivation of え is uncertain, but it is related to the potential auxiliary verb 得る (える).