Where does “observable” come from?
Observable comes from Middle French observable, derived from Latin observare meaning "to watch or guard," from the root servo meaning "to keep or protect," ultimately traced to Proto-Indo-European ser-.
observable (English): Able to be observed; Deserving to be observed;...
Definitions
- Able to be observed; Deserving to be observed;...
Ancestry of “observable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | observe | To notice or view, especially carefully or with... |
| 2 | Middle French | observer | — |
| 3 | Latin | observo | I observe, watch; I guard, keep watch over; I... |
| 4 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 5 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |