Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “executable” come from?

Executable comes from Middle English -able added to Latin exsecutus, past participle of exsequī meaning to carry out or follow through, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- meaning to follow.

executable (English): Capable of being executed; A file that can be run...

Definitions

  1. Capable of being executed; A file that can be run...

Ancestry of “executable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishexecuteTo kill as punishment for capital crimes; To...
2Old Frenchexecuter—
3Latinexsecutusaccompanied; pursued; executed, accomplished;...
4LatinexsequorI follow to the end; follow after thoroughly,...
5LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
6Latincommūnicō—
7Latincommūnis—
8Old Latincom(m)oinis—
9Proto-Italickommoinis—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin

Words derived from “executable”

  • nonexecutable
  • inexecutable
Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz →