Where does “feeble” come from?
Feeble comes from Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble, from Latin flebilis meaning "lamentable or weak," derived from the Latin suffix -bilis and the Proto-Indo-European root bʰel-.
feeble (English): Deficient in physical strength; Lacking force,...
Definitions
- Deficient in physical strength; Lacking force,...
Ancestry of “feeble”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | feble | Feeble, weak, or strengthless; Insidious,... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | feble | weak, feeble; weak; feeble |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | febelis | — |
| 4 | Latin | flēbilis | lamentable |
| 5 | Latin | fleō | to weep, cry |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | flēō | weep, cry |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰléh₁- | to bleat |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |