-able
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also able
Contents |
English [edit]
Alternative forms [edit]
- -ible (not productive)
Etymology [edit]
- From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin -ābilis, from -a- or -i- + bilis (“capable or worthy of being acted upon”).
- Not closely related etymologically, though currently related semantically, to able.
- Replaced native Old English -bǣre (“bearing, making, worth”), from Proto-Germanic *bēriz, *bērijaz; and -lic (“like, having the quality of”), from Proto-Germanic *-līkaz.
- Compare German -bar, Dutch -baar.
Pronunciation [edit]
Suffix [edit]
-able
- An adjectival suffix; forms adjectives meaning:
- able to be; fit to be.
- movable: able to be moved
- amendable, able to be amended
- breakable: liable to broken
- blamable, fit to be blamed
- salable, fit to be sold
- relevant to or suitable to, in accordance with.
- fashionable relevant to fashion
- seasonable suitable to season
- giving, or inclined to.
- pleasurable giving pleasure
- peaceable inclined to peace
- subject to.
- reportable subject to be reported
- taxable subject to be taxed
- due to be.
- payable due to pay
- able to be; fit to be.
Usage notes [edit]
- Originally used only on French and Latin words like, separable. Over time -able was added to stems of English verbs ending in -ate, such as educable. Finally, due to probable confusion with the word able, it was used to form all sorts of adjectives from all sorts of verbs, nouns, and even verb phrases, such as kickable, get-at-able, and clubbable.
- While a terminal silent -e is usually dropped when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel, which is followed by -able, the -e is not dropped when adding -able if the root ends with a soft -ce and -ge, as in replaceable and changeable, so that these are not misinterpreted as hard ‘c’ or ‘g’ sounds. This same rule is used for -ous, as in courageous.
- The form -ible has the same senses and pronunciation. The choice between the two is somewhat idiosyncratic, but in general, -ible is used in forms derived from Latin verbs of the second, third, and fourth conjugations, and in a few words whose roots end in a soft c or g, while -able is used in all other such words, particularly those formed from Latin verbs of the first conjugation and those that come from French or from Anglo-Saxon (Old English). Fowler's English Usage recommends using -ible for simplicity's sake in any word whose root ends in a soft c or g to avoid -eable (e.g., *changible rather than changeable), but this recommendation has generally not been followed.
- A number of adjectives in -able come from verbs that do not have direct objects, but that rather are construed with prepositions. In these cases, the preposition does not appear with the adjective in -able; hence, reliable (“fit to being relied on”), laughable (“suited for laughing at”), remarkable (“fit to be remarked upon”), and so on.
- Traditionally, verbs ending in unstressed -ate drop this suffix before adding -able; hence, communicable (“able to be communicated”), eradicable (“possible to eradicate”), and so on.
- There are cases where a word with un- -able is much more common than one with just -able, such as unbreakable, unsinkable, and untouchable.
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
able to be
fit to be
|
expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
Related terms [edit]
Catalan [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Latin -ābilis.
Pronunciation [edit]
- IPA: /ˈablə/
Suffix [edit]
-able m, f (masculine and feminine plural -ables)
Usage notes [edit]
This suffix is used for verbs of the first conjugation, which end in -ar and are the most common. For other verbs, the suffix is -ible.
Derived terms [edit]
French [edit]
Etymology [edit]
Old French, from Latin -ābilis.
Pronunciation [edit]
- IPA: /abl/
Suffix [edit]
-able (plural -ables)
Middle French [edit]
Etymology [edit]
Old French, from Latin -ābilis.
Suffix [edit]
-able (plural -ables)
Old French [edit]
Etymology [edit]
Latin -ābilis.
Suffix [edit]
-able (plural -ables)
- worthy of, deserving of
- honnorable - honorable
- -ing, creating an effect, an influence
- forsenable - maddening
Descendants [edit]
Spanish [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Latin -ābilis.
Suffix [edit]
-able (plural -ables)
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English suffixes
- English adjective-forming suffixes
- English productive suffixes
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan suffixes
- Catalan epicene adjectives
- French terms derived from Old French
- French terms derived from Latin
- French suffixes
- French terms spelled with -
- Middle French terms derived from Old French
- Middle French terms derived from Latin
- Middle French suffixes
- Old French terms derived from Latin
- Old French suffixes
- Spanish terms derived from Latin
- Spanish suffixes
- Spanish terms spelled with -
