Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “detectable” come from?

Detectable comes from Latin detectus, the past participle of detegere meaning "to uncover," from de- "away" and the root (s)teg- meaning "to cover."

detectable (English): That which can be detected, noticeable

Definitions

  1. That which can be detected, noticeable

Ancestry of “detectable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishdetectto discover or find by careful search,...
2Latindetectusuncovered, revealed, disclosed
3Latindē-—
4Latindē—
5Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
6Latinposteablative singular of postis
7Proto-Italicposti—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

Words derived from “detectable”

  • undetectable
  • detectably
  • nondetectable
  • undetectably
  • indetectable
  • immunodetectable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →