Where does “despicable” come from?
Despicable comes from Latin despicabilis, from despicio meaning to look down on, from de- and speḱ-, a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to observe or look.
despicable (English): Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible;...
Definitions
- Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible;...
Ancestry of “despicable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | despicabilis | contemptible, wretched, worthless |
| 2 | Latin | -bilis | -ble |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | -ðlis | Forms adjectives from verb stems indicating capacity or worth of being acted on |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -dʰlis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -dʰlom | Alternative form of *-trom; instrumental suffix;... |