Where does “unanswerable” come from?
Unanswerable derives from English answer, which comes from Proto-Indo-European óynos, ultimately from the root swer- meaning to speak or talk.
unanswerable (English): Not answerable; impossible to answer; Impossible...
Definitions
- Not answerable; impossible to answer; Impossible...
Ancestry of “unanswerable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | answerable | Required to justify one's actions (to somebody); accountable, responsible |
| 2 | English | answer | A response or reply; something said or done in... |
| 3 | Middle English | answere | A response to a query or questioning; an... |
| 4 | Old English | andswaru | answer |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | andaswaru | answer, reply |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | andaswarō | answer, reply |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | anda- | against, opposing; un-, de- |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |