Where does “spellable” come from?
spellable (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.
spellable (English): That can be spelled
Definitions
- That can be spelled
Ancestry of “spellable”, step by step
spellable 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 spell
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spell | Words or a formula supposed to have magical... |
| 2 | Old French | espeler | to call; to cry out; to shout; to explain; to... |
| 3 | Old French | espelir | — |
| 4 | Frankish | spelôn | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spellōną | to talk, tell, recount |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spellą | news, message; tale, story |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pel- | to split in two, split in half; to speak with a... |