Unconceivable.

Ahh, I've been speaking english for over a decade, and I still sometimes get caught up with these and say the opposite thing of what I want

Like the whole thing of flammable and inflammable meaning the same thing.. just why?

Unlock-able versus un-lockable

Are we just making up language rules as we go?

Yes, throughout history, in fact.

And to answer the meme's question, it can have either definition based on the context of usage.

Depends on emphasis. Said with normal stress on the first syllable is "able to be unlocked".

But if you pronounce it with extra emphasis on both of the first two syllables with a bit of a pause between, I think most people would think "not able to be locked". Very context dependent though

When you say that something is easily unlockable the second way sounds clunky, but both convey the same message that whatever it is, it is not secure

making up the rules as we go

You seem unaware at how, while French is steered by a committee of linguists, English is steered by a mob of autofellatic influencerati fame-whores, all looking for differentiation and trends to manufacture. So fetch.

Redminds of the German "umfahren" (run over) which is the exact opposit of "umfahren" (drive around). (First is pronounced with a tiny pause after the second letter; the other is not.)

almost always "able to be unlocked". "not able to be locked" is usually "non-lockable" or "not lockable".

Highly illockable

could be both

maybe it's a homonym

I would never use that word in either context, neither one is coherent. I would say, Picard, where is Beverly Crusher! She must shackle me, before I am overcome!

I would say "non-lockable" means can't be locked, and "unlockable" means can be changed from locked to unlocked, implying also being lockable.

But to answer the question, yes we are making up language as we go along. For one thing we've always done that, but recently the trend has accelerated as people strive to reduce complex ideas to simple, overgeneralized slang to avoid having to think as much or do as much thumb-typing.

Sokath, his eyes uncoverable.

Curse you! 🙃

Non-lockable feels like the right term.

'Un-' directly implies undoing, an action. 'Non-' implies a status, a non-possibility.

That's my two cents.

Yes!

The issue is the fact that the opposite action of locking is called unlocking and not something like delocking.

At the end, both are the same.

You end up with something that isn't locked.

Literally yes, we are.

Cause language is a toolkit to communicate ideas, and a toolkit frozen in glass is a useless toolkit.

You need to swap out that hammer when it starts getting damaged, or put back a screwdriver when you find out you need it again, or add new tools when you find that the tools you have now aren't fit to purpose.

And sure, there's some loose screws at the bottom of the bag, but they don't harm anything, and very occasionally they come in useful.

Nice shower thought.

to unambiguously say "unable to be locked" would be "nonlockable"

Yes.

I'm pretty sure one of those has a hyphen

Unlockable = can’t be locked

Unopenable = can’t be opened

*None-lockable

Now I'm trying to think of a circumstance where something can be unlocked but not relocked. Like in a game you can just make a new account and achievements are relocked.

For me, personally.. it means able to be unlocked. If I want to say the other thing, I say "it doesn't lock."

Back in like 1st or 2nd grade the teacher introduced us to context clues for reading comprehension.

/showerthoughts, no?

Yes

If you can't unlock it, is it really a lock?

It means it gives the illusion of being locked, until an Israeli tech company plugs into it and unlocks it for the cops.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-tech-company-says-it-can-break-into-all-iphones-ever-made-some-androids/

Nothing is unlockable with the right epoxy.

Depends on the cawntex

Locks should always be able to be reversed. Locking something is restricting access, not denying it entirely. You don't weld a door shut and call it locked.

Poe didn't write a tale about Fortunato being locked downstairs.

"Sealed", "buried", "entombed", "immured" - all perfectly good terms for closing access to something with the intent of the closure being permanent.

both, but not at the same time. words change meaning with context. thats why there often are several definitions of a single word.

I would say "un" implies a reversal of some state. More clear would be "not lockable", so most people would use this. Unlockable is much more likely to mean able to reverse the state of being locked.

I don't think I've ever used the word "unlockable".

"The closet doors in my house don't have locks", is probably what I'd say.

Both definitions refer to the same thing, right? A locked lock is unlockable. It cannot be locked further, AND it can be unlocked.

Vice versa for the unlocked lock.

Why would unlockable mean able to be unlocked?

@The_Picard_Maneuver You know we are... every rule gets a 'but maybe', 'except for when', 'never mind, nothing means what you think and everything means something AND nothing at all but also whatever you want it to mean.'