'unplayability' originates from the English prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'playable', which comes from 'play', meaning 'to engage in activity for enjoyment'.

'unplayable' transformed from the Old English word 'plegian', meaning 'to play', and eventually became the modern English word 'playable'.

Initially, it meant 'not able to be played', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.