Where does “unbelievability” come from?
unbelievability (English) comes from English unbelievable, from English Un-, from English still, from Old English stillan, from Proto-West Germanic stillijan, from Proto-West Germanic -jan, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.
unbelievability (English): the state or quality of being unbelievable
Definitions
- the state or quality of being unbelievable
Ancestry of “unbelievability”, step by step
unbelievability traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English unbelievable
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | unbelievable | Not to be believed; Incredible; so surprising it... |
| 2 | English | Un- | not |
| 3 | English | still | Not moving; calm; Not effervescing; not... |
| 4 | Old English | stillan | become calm, abate, subside; calm, pacify,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | stillijan | to make still, quiet |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -jan | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English ability
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ability | Suitableness; The quality or state of being able;... |
| 2 | Middle English | abilite | suitability, aptitude, ability |
| 3 | Old French | ableté | — |
| 4 | Latin | habilitās | ability, aptitude, fitness |
| 5 | Latin | habilis | able to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient... |
| 6 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |