Where does “beholdable” come from?
beholdable (English) comes from English able, from Middle English able, from Old French able, from Latin habilis, from Latin -ilis, from Proto-Italic -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
beholdable (English): Able to be beheld
Definitions
- Able to be beheld
Ancestry of “beholdable”, step by step
beholdable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English able
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | able | Easy to use; Suitable; competent; Liable to |
| 2 | Middle English | able | capable, expert, qualified, skilful, competent |
| 3 | Old French | able | able; capable |
| 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 |
via English behold
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | behold | To see or look at, esp. appreciatively; to... |
| 2 | Middle English | biholden | To watch or stare at; to visually monitor |
| 3 | Old English | behealdan | to hold, occupy, retain; to do, perform; to look... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bihaldan | to keep |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | haldan | to hold; to keep |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | haldaną | to hold, to keep |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kel- | to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet |