Where does “capable” come from?
Capable comes from Middle French capable, from Late Latin capabilis, from Latin capio meaning "to seize," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p-.
capable (English): Able and efficient; having the ability needed for...
Definitions
- Able and efficient; having the ability needed for...
Ancestry of “capable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | capable | — |
| 2 | Latin | capabilis | comprehensible; intelligent; capable |
| 3 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |