Where does “unascertainably” come from?
unascertainably (English) comes from English unascertainable, from English ascertainable, from English ascertain, from Middle English acerteynen, from Old French acertener, from Old French certain, from Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus — to sift, separate, divide.
unascertainably (English): Such that it cannot be ascertained
Definitions
- Such that it cannot be ascertained
Ancestry of “unascertainably”, step by step
unascertainably traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English unascertainable
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | unascertainable | That cannot be ascertained; uncertain, unable to... |
| 2 | English | ascertainable | Able to be ascertained |
| 3 | English | ascertain | To find out definitely; to discover or establish;... |
| 4 | Middle English | acerteynen | — |
| 5 | Old French | acertener | to assure; to make sure of, to make certain of |
| 6 | Old French | certain | certain; sure |
| 7 | Vulgar Latin | certanus | certain |
| 8 | Latin | certus | certain; fixed, settled, firm; resolved,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | krey- | to sift, separate, divide |