Where does “swingable” come from?
swingable (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.
swingable (English): Capable of being swung, or made to swing
Definitions
- Capable of being swung, or made to swing
Ancestry of “swingable”, step by step
swingable 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 Swing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Swing | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point |
| 2 | Middle English | swyngen | To strike or land a blow |
| 3 | Old English | swingan | to swinge, flog, beat, scourge; to give a blow... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *swingan | to swing |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swinganą | to swing |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swenk- | to bend, swing, swivel |