Where does “betterable” come from?
betterable (English) comes from English better, from English BET, from Hebrew בית, from English byte, from English bite, from Middle English biten, from Old English betēon, from Old English tēon — to pull, to draw; to lead.
betterable (English): Able to be bettered or improved
Definitions
- Able to be bettered or improved
Ancestry of “betterable”, step by step
betterable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English better
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | better | comparative form of good: more good; comparative... |
| 2 | English | BET | An adsorption technique used to measure the... |
| 3 | Hebrew | בית | house; stanza; Temple |
| 4 | English | byte | A short sequence of bits that can be operated on... |
| 5 | English | bite | To cut into something by clamping the teeth; To... |
| 6 | Middle English | biten | to bite |
| 7 | Old English | betēon | to cover, surround, enclose; to cover, surround,... |
| 8 | Old English | tēon | to drag, draw, pull; to train, discipline; to... |
| 9 | Old English | tēohan | — |
| 10 | Proto-West Germanic | teuhan | to pull; to lead |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | teuhaną | to lead; to pull behind oneself, draw, drag |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |
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 |