Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nonfloatable” come from?

nonfloatable (English) comes from English floatable, 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 — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

nonfloatable (English): Not floatable

Definitions

  1. Not floatable

Ancestry of “nonfloatable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfloatableThat may be floated; Anything that floats
2EnglishableEasy to use; Suitable; competent; Liable to
3Middle Englishable—
4Old Frenchableable; capable
5Latinhabilisable to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient...
6Latin-ilis-ile
7Proto-Italic-elis—
8Proto-Indo-European-elis—
9Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →