言わん方無し

Etymology
/ipan kata nasi/ → /iɸan kata nasi/ → /iwan kata nasi/. iwan is a contraction of iwamu, from the verb in  form (iwa) plus the subjective particle. Can be thus interpreted literally as “there is no seeming way of saying”.

Idiom

 * 1) there are no words to describe it
 * 2) * 1008-1010: 
 * 3) * 1832-33: Shunshoku Umegoyomi (volume 1)
 * 1) * 1832-33: Shunshoku Umegoyomi (volume 1)