Where does “perplexable” come from?
perplexable (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.
perplexable (English): Able to be perplexed; confusable
Definitions
- Able to be perplexed; confusable
Ancestry of “perplexable”, step by step
perplexable 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 perplex
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | perplex | To cause to feel baffled; to puzzle; To involve;... |
| 2 | Latin | perplexus | entangled, involved, intricate, confused;... |
| 3 | Latin | plectere | present active infinitive of plectō;... |
| 4 | Latin | plecto | I plait, weave, braid; I twist, bend, turn; I... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | plektō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleḱ- | to fold, plait, weave |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |