Where does “meritable” come from?
meritable (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.
meritable (English): Deserving of reward
Definitions
- Deserving of reward
Ancestry of “meritable”, step by step
meritable 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 merit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | merit | A claim to commendation or a reward; A mark or... |
| 2 | Middle English | merit | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | merit | — |
| 4 | Old French | merite | merit |
| 5 | Latin | meritum | merit, service, deserts; value, reward, benefit,... |
| 6 | Latin | meritus | earned, deserved, obtained, due, proper, right,... |
| 7 | Latin | mereō | to deserve, merit |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mer- | to fall into thinking, remember, care for; to... |