Where does “suitable” come from?
Suitable derives from Middle English -able, from Old French -able, from Latin -abilis (capable of being), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- meaning to follow or accompany.
suitable (English): Having sufficient or the required properties for...
Definitions
- Having sufficient or the required properties for...
Ancestry of “suitable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | suit | A set of clothes to be worn together, now... |
| 2 | Middle English | sute | Clothes or clothing; especially those that match;... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | suite | pursuit |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | sequita | — |
| 5 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |