Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “payable” come from?

Payable derives from Middle English -able combined with Latin picare (to pacify), itself from Latin pax (peace), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- (to fix or fasten).

payable (English): Due to be paid; Able to be paid; Of a mine etc.:...

Definitions

  1. Due to be paid; Able to be paid; Of a mine etc.:...

Ancestry of “payable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpayTo give money or other compensation to in...
2Middle Englishpayenpagan
3Old Frenchpaiierto pay
4Medieval Latinpacareto settle, satisfy; present active infinitive of...
5Latinpācāre—
6Latinpāx—
7Proto-Italicpākspeace
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpéh₂ḱ-speace
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ḱ-to join, to attach; agreement, settlement

Words derived from “payable”

  • unpayable
  • payability
  • prepayable
  • unpayably
  • payably
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ḱ- →