untongue

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ tongue.

Verb

untongue (third-person singular simple present untongues, present participle untonguing, simple past and past participle untongued)

(obsolete, transitive) To deprive of a tongue, or of voice.
- 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
  Especially he ought to untongue it from talking to his prejudice
- 1870, William Carleton, The Fair of Emyvale, and the Master and Scholar. Tales, Etc, page 56:
  Mark me, they will untongue you ; decudgel you to a very submissive state of conjugal obedience; and , what is still worse, they will actually bamboozle you —that is to say, unless you deviate your transcendent and subterranean courses.
- 1913, Grace Denio Litchfield, Collected Poems, page 212:
  Yet till thine axe untongue me, I'll maintain Ours was a mighty scheme, and that it failed, Its chiefest fault.
- 2006, Lisa Zaran, “The Great Ones”, in The Blondes Lay Content, page 68:
  They are the ones who can untongue you, the poet Adler says.
To take one's tongue off of.
- 2016, Marvel Comics, Power Pack Classic Vol. 1:
  Unhand me-- er, untongue me, vile monster!
- 2018, Dennis Hopeless, ‎John Barber, Doctor Strange Vol. 5:
  What?! Hey! Untongue me!
- 2018, Star Wars: Last Shot: A Han and Lando Novel:
  "Well, tell it to untongue me! " Han demanded.

Noun

untongue (plural untongues)

(nonce word) Something that is not a tongue but which does something one associates with a tongue.
- 2005, The Beloit Poetry Journal - Volumes 56-57, page 18:
  to stay, dying and composing as the untongue licked him toward oblivion and the tenors sang promisisti.
- 2013, Simon Jarvis, Night Office:
  I see them walking past its world's -end whine knowing this untongue shreds the tender air in perfect meaninglessness.
- 2023, Danger Slater, ‎Alex Woodroe, House of Rot, page 33:
  What are you building? she said to him in the same unlanguage, using the same untongue.