Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “habile” come from?

habile (English) comes from Middle English habil, from Old French habile, from Latin habilis, from Latin -ilis, from Proto-Italic -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

habile (English): Generally able or adroit; handy

Definitions

  1. Generally able or adroit; handy

Ancestry of “habile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhabil—
2Old Frenchhabile—
3Latinhabilisable to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient...
4Latin-ilis-ile
5Proto-Italic-elis—
6Proto-Indo-European-elis—
7Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →