Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “controllable” come from?

Controllable derives from Middle English -able, Middle French contreroller, Latin -abilis, and Latin contra and rota, ultimately from the Latin word for wheel.

controllable (English): Able to be controlled; subject to regulation or...

Definitions

  1. Able to be controlled; subject to regulation or...

Ancestry of “controllable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcontrolTo exercise influence over; to suggest or dictate...
2Middle Englishcontrollento restrain or keep in check
3Middle Frenchcontrerollerto control
4Medieval Latincontrarotulare—
5Latincontrarotuluscopy of a roll
6LatinrotulusAlternative form of rotula; roll; roll of paper
7Latinrotulaa small wheel; roll
8Arabicرَطْل—
9Classical Syriacܪܝܛܠܐ—
10Classical Syriacܠܝܛܪܐlibra, pound
11Frenchlitrelitre
12Medieval Latinlitra—
13Ancient Greekλίτραlitra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of...
14Proto-Italic*līðrā—

Words derived from “controllable”

  • uncontrollable
  • uncontrollably
  • controllability
  • incontrollable
  • noncontrollable
  • controllably
  • uncontrollableness
  • controllableness
Every word from Proto-Italic *līðrā →