Where does “willable” come from?
willable (English) comes from English Will, from English william, from Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Old High German helm, from Proto-West Germanic helm, from Proto-Germanic helmaz — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.
willable (English): Capable of being willed
Definitions
- Capable of being willed
Ancestry of “willable”, step by step
willable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Will
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Will | A weak-side linebacker |
| 2 | English | william | radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter W |
| 3 | Middle English | William | — |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | Willame | — |
| 5 | Old High German | Willahelm | William |
| 6 | Old High German | helm | helmet |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | helm | helmet |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |
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 |