Where does “unobtainable” come from?
Unobtainable derives from English obtain, which traces through Proto-Indo-European óynos and ano- and ne to Ancient Greek ὀβελός, meaning a sharp point or spit.
unobtainable (English): Unable to be obtained: not able to be acquired or...
Definitions
- Unable to be obtained: not able to be acquired or...
Ancestry of “unobtainable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | obtainable | Able to be obtained |
| 2 | English | obtain | To get hold of; to gain possession of, to... |
| 3 | Middle English | obteinen | — |
| 4 | Middle French | obtenir | to obtain |
| 5 | Old French | obtenir | to obtain |
| 6 | Latin | obtineo | I have, occupy, possess, hold; I preserve, keep,... |
| 7 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 8 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |