Where does “wearable” come from?
Wearable comes from English wear and the Middle English suffix -able, derived from Old French -able, which comes from Latin -abilis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots indicating being or becoming.
wearable (English): Able to be worn; Something that can be worn; an...
Definitions
- Able to be worn; Something that can be worn; an...
Ancestry of “wearable”, step by step
wearable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English able
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | able | Easy to use; Suitable; competent; Liable to |
| 2 | Middle English | able | capable, expert, qualified, skilful, competent |
| 3 | Old French | able | able; capable |
| 4 | Latin | habilis | able to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient... |
| 5 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
via English Wear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wear | The cities of Durham and Sunderland are situated upon its grand banks |
| 2 | Middle English | weren | Plural past indicative form of been; Plural... |
| 3 | Old English | werian | to wear; to defend, protect |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |