Where does “knowable” come from?
Knowable derives from Middle English knowen, influenced by Old French -able and Latin -abilis, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root ǵneh₃- meaning to know or perceive.
knowable (English): Capable of being known, understood or...
Definitions
- Capable of being known, understood or...
Ancestry of “knowable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | know | To perceive the truth or factuality of; to be... |
| 2 | Middle English | knowen | to know |
| 3 | Old English | cnāwan | to know, perceive, recognise; to know, recognise,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | knāan | to recognise, to know |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | knēaną | to know, recognise, understand |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |