Where does “ability” come from?
Ability comes from Middle English abilite, from Middle French habilite, from Old French ablete, from Latin habilitas, derived from Latin habilis meaning "apt or fit," formed with the Latin suffix -ibilis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -tós.
ability (English): Suitableness; The quality or state of being able;...
Definitions
- Suitableness; The quality or state of being able;...
Ancestry of “ability”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | abilite | suitability, aptitude, ability |
| 2 | Old French | ableté | — |
| 3 | Latin | habilitās | ability, aptitude, fitness |
| 4 | Latin | habilis | able to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient... |
| 5 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
Words derived from “ability”
- scalability
- reachability
- substitutability
- detectability
- imperturbability
- identifiability
- learnability
- taxability
- modifiability
- exchangeability
- manufacturability
- machinability
- degradability
- severability
- schedulability
- flowability
- expandability
- insurability
- hardenability
- redressability
- serializability
- assignability
- formability
- reasonability