Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “indiscernible” come from?

Indiscernible comes from English in- plus discern, which derives from Latin discernere, built from Latin in- and cernere, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to separate or distinguish.

indiscernible (English): Not capable of being discerned, of being...

Definitions

  1. Not capable of being discerned, of being...

Ancestry of “indiscernible”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-ibleAn adjective suffix, now usually in a passive...
2English-ityUsed to form a noun from an adjective;...
3Middle English-ite—
4Old French-ité-ity
5Latin-itās—
6Proto-Indo-European-teh₂tsUsed to form nouns representing state of being
7Proto-Indo-European-teh₂Used to form nouns representing state of being
8Proto-Indo-European-tósCreates verbal adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “indiscernible”

  • undiscernible
  • indiscernibly
  • undiscernable
  • undiscernibly
  • indiscernibleness
  • undiscernibleness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tós →