Where does “arable” come from?
arable (Old French) comes from Vulgar Latin acerābulus, from Latin ācer, from Latin saccharum, from Ancient Greek σάκχαρ, from Sanskrit शर्करा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan śárkaraH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ćárkaraH, from Proto-Indo-European ḱorkeh₂ — gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel.
arable (Old French): arable
Definitions
- arable
Ancestry of “arable”, step by step
arable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Vulgar Latin acerābulus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vulgar Latin | acerābulus | — |
| 2 | Latin | ācer | sharp, sour, bitter, pungent |
| 3 | Latin | saccharum | sugar |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σάκχαρ | sugar; sugar cane |
| 5 | Sanskrit | शर्करा | gravel, grit, pebbles, shingle, gravelly mould or... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | śárkaraH | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćárkaraH | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorkeh₂ | gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel |
via Latin arābilis
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | arābilis | arable: able to be plowed, able to be farmed; capable of growing crops |
| 2 | Latin | arō | to plough, till; to cultivate land, farm; to acquire by tillage |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | araō | to plough |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éryeti | to be ploughing |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂erh₃- | to plough |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁er- | earth |