Where does “colourable” come from?
colourable (English) comes from English colour, from Middle English colour, from Anglo-Norman colur, from Old French colour, from Latin color, from Ancient Greek μέτρον, from Ancient Greek -τρον, from Proto-Hellenic -tron — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
colourable (English): Colourful; Apparently true; specious; potentially...
Definitions
- Colourful; Apparently true; specious; potentially...
Ancestry of “colourable”, step by step
colourable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English colour
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | colour | Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South... |
| 2 | Middle English | colour | colour, hue, shade; pigment, dye; method |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | colur | Alternative form of color |
| 4 | Old French | colour | Alternative form of color |
| 5 | Latin | color | colour, shade; color; pigment; complexion |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
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 |