Where does “adaptable” come from?
Adaptable comes from English adapt, from Middle French adapter, from Latin adaptare, formed from Latin ad- (toward) and the root h₂ep- (to fit or attach) via Proto-Indo-European.
adaptable (English): Capable of adapting or of being adapted
Definitions
- Capable of adapting or of being adapted
Ancestry of “adaptable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -able | An adjectival suffix; forms adjectives meaning |
| 2 | Middle English | -able | able |
| 3 | Old French | -able | worthy of, deserving of; -ing, creating an... |
| 4 | Latin | -ābilis | suffixed to noun to form adjectives meaning "able to have or bring, prone to have or bring, having the power to have or bring": -able |