Where does “-ability” come from?
-ability (English) comes from Middle English -ablete, from Middle French -ableté, from Latin -abilitas, from Latin -ibilis, from Latin -bilis, from Proto-Italic -ðlis, from Proto-Indo-European -dʰlis, from Proto-Indo-European -dʰlom — Alternative form of *-trom; instrumental suffix;...
-ability (English): ability, inclination or suitability for a...
Definitions
- ability, inclination or suitability for a...
Ancestry of “-ability”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | -ablete | — |
| 2 | Middle French | -ableté | — |
| 3 | Latin | -abilitas | — |
| 4 | Latin | -ibilis | -able; able or worthy to be |
| 5 | Latin | -bilis | -ble |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -ðlis | Forms adjectives from verb stems indicating capacity or worth of being acted on |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -dʰlis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -dʰlom | Alternative form of *-trom; instrumental suffix;... |
Words derived from “-ability”
- sustainability
- respectability
- desirability
- suitability
- adaptability
- predictability
- inimitable
- excitability
- unpredictability
- amiability
- affordability
- dependability
- traceability
- repeatability
- marketability
- transferability
- enforceability
- tolerability
- survivability
- reusability
- patentability
- maintainability
- foreseeability
- merchantability