Where does “semidegradable” come from?

semidegradable (English) comes from English degradable, from English -able, from Middle English -able, from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis — suffixed to noun to form adjectives meaning "able to have or bring, prone to have or bring, having the power to have or bring": -able.

semidegradable (English): Partially degradable

Definitions

  1. Partially degradable

Ancestry of “semidegradable”, step by step

semidegradable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English degradable

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdegradableAble to be chemically or biologically degraded;...
2English-ableAn adjectival suffix; forms adjectives meaning
3Middle English-ableable
4Old French-ableworthy of, deserving of; -ing, creating an...
5Latin-ābilissuffixed to noun to form adjectives meaning "able to have or bring, prone to have or bring, having the power to have or bring": -able

via English semi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsemiA semi-detached house; A semitrailer; a...
2Englishsemi-half; partial, incomplete; somewhat, rather,...
3Latinsēmi-half
4Proto-Indo-Europeansēmihalf; partially
Every word from Latin -ābilisEvery word from English -ableEvery word from Middle English -able