Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “excitable” come from?

Excitable comes from Middle English -able, Old French -able, Latin -abilis, combining Latin ex- (out) and -abilis (capable of being), literally meaning capable of being driven out.

excitable (English): Easily excited; Able to be promoted to an excited...

Definitions

  1. Easily excited; Able to be promoted to an excited...

Ancestry of “excitable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishexciteTo stir the emotions of; To arouse or bring out ;...
2Middle Englishexciten—
3Old Frenchexciter—
4Latinexcitō—
5LatinexcieoAlternative form of exciō; call out, arouse,...
6Latinex-out, away; throughout; thoroughly
7LatineThe name of the letter "E"; out of, from
8LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
9Latincommūnicō—
10Latincommūnis—
11Old Latincom(m)oinis—
12Proto-Italickommoinis—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
14Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
15Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
16Middle Englishkyt—
17Middle Dutchkittea wooden vessel made of hooped staves; wooden...

Words derived from “excitable”

  • unexcitable
  • hyperexcitable
  • inexcitable
  • excitably
  • overexcitable
  • excitableness
  • hypoexcitable
  • overexcitably
  • hyperexcitably
  • exciteableness
Every word from Middle Dutch kitte →