Where does “questionable” come from?
Questionable comes from Middle English -able, Old French -able, and Latin -abilis, ultimately deriving from Latin quaerere meaning to seek or inquire.
questionable (English): Problematic; open to doubt or challenge; Of...
Definitions
- Problematic; open to doubt or challenge; Of...
Ancestry of “questionable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | question | A sentence, phrase or word which asks for... |
| 2 | French | questionner | to question, interrogate; to call into question |
| 3 | French | question | a question; a matter or issue; a problem |
| 4 | Old French | question | question (verbal statement intended to elicit a response) |
| 5 | Latin | quaestiō | problem |
| 6 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 7 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 8 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 9 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 10 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 11 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 12 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |