Where does “lettable” come from?
lettable (English) comes from English able, from Middle English able, from Old French able, 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.
lettable (English): Able to be let
Definitions
- Able to be let
Ancestry of “lettable”, step by step
lettable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 |
via English let
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | let | To allow to, not to prevent; To leave; To allow... |
| 2 | Middle English | leten | to let |
| 3 | Old English | lǣtan | to let; leave; to let go, leave; to allow, let... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lātan | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |