Where does “untranslatable” come from?
Untranslatable derives from English translate, which comes from Latin translātus, the past participle of transferre, combining trans- and ferre, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-, meaning to carry.
untranslatable (English): Not able to be translated; A word or phrase that...
Definitions
- Not able to be translated; A word or phrase that...
Ancestry of “untranslatable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | translatable | Capable of being translated into another... |
| 2 | English | translate | Senses relating to the change of information,... |
| 3 | Middle English | translaten | To transport or move; to cause to change place;... |
| 4 | Old French | translater | to translate |
| 5 | Latin | trānslātiō | Translation, in the broadest sense: the process of transferring or carrying something over from one thing to another; in particular |
| 6 | Latin | trānsferō | to bear, carry or bring across or over; transport, transfer, convey over |
| 7 | Latin | ferō | to bear; to carry |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | ferō | carry, bear |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |