Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “semipermeable” come from?

Semipermeable is derived from English semi- plus permeable, which comes from Middle French perméable, Latin permeabilis, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to go or pass through.

semipermeable (English): Permeable to some things and not to others, as a...

Definitions

  1. Permeable to some things and not to others, as a...

Ancestry of “semipermeable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishpermeablethat absorbs or allows the passage of fluids
2Middle Frenchperméable—
3Latinpermeabilispassable; permeable
4Latin-bilis-ble
5Proto-Italic-ðlis—
6Proto-Indo-European-dʰlis—
7Proto-Indo-European-dʰlomAlternative form of *-trom; instrumental suffix;...

Words derived from “semipermeable”

  • semipermeably
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -dʰlom →