Where does “gainable” come from?
gainable (English) comes from English gain, from Middle French gain, from Old French gaaing, from Old French gaaignier, from Vulgar Latin *wadaniāre, from English unspecified, from English Un-, from Middle English un- — not.
gainable (English): Capable of being gained (in any sense), obtained, or reached
Definitions
- Capable of being gained (in any sense), obtained, or reached
Ancestry of “gainable”, step by step
gainable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gain
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gain | To acquire possession of; To have or receive... |
| 2 | Middle French | gain | income |
| 3 | Old French | gaaing | gain |
| 4 | Old French | gaaignier | Alternative form of gaigner; to earn, gain,... |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | *wadaniāre | — |
| 6 | English | unspecified | Not specified; not thoroughly explained or... |
| 7 | English | Un- | not |
| 8 | Middle English | un- | — |
| 9 | Old English | un- | negation or absence of: un-, non-; bad; forms... |
| 10 | Proto-West Germanic | un- | not, un- |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | un- | not, un- |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | n̥- | not, un- |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ne | not |
via English able
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | able | Easy to use; Suitable; competent; Liable to |
| 2 | Middle English | able | capable, expert, qualified, skilful, competent |
| 3 | Old French | able | able; capable |
| 4 | Latin | habilis | able to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient... |
| 5 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |