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-able

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: able

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Inherited from Middle English -able, borrowed from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis, from -a- or -i- + -bilis (“capable or worthy of being acted upon”), from Proto-Indo-European i-stem form *-dʰli- of *-dʰlom (“instrumental suffix”). Not closely related etymologically, though currently related semantically, to able. Displaced native Old English -endlīc.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-able

  1. An adjectival suffix; forms adjectives meaning:
    1. Able to be done; fit to be done.
      movable: able to be moved
      amendable: able to be amended
      breakable: liable to broken
      blamable: fit to be blamed
      salable: fit to be sold
    2. Relevant to or suitable to, in accordance with.
      fashionable: relevant to fashion
      seasonable: suitable to season
    3. Giving, or inclined to.
      pleasurable: giving pleasure
      peaceable: inclined to peace
    4. Subject to.
      reportable: subject to be reported
      taxable: subject to be taxed
    5. Due to be.
      payable: due to be paid

Usage notes

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  • Originally appeared 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 adjectives from all sorts of verbs, nouns, and even verb phrases, such as kickable, get-at-able, and hittable.
  • A terminal silent -e is often dropped when adding -able, but for roots ending with a soft -ce or -ge, such as replaceable and changeable, the -e is kept so that these are not misinterpreted as hard ‘c’ or ‘g’ sounds. Similar spelling patterns apply to some other suffixes beginning with a vowel, such as -ous in famous vs. courageous.
  • The final consonant of a root is doubled in the same contexts as when adding the suffix -ed. In general, this means doubling occurs when the preceding vowel is short and stressed (as in winnable) but not when it is long (as in obtainable) or unstressed (as in openable). In British English, a final L is typically doubled after a short vowel regardless of whether the vowel is stressed or unstressed (as in compellable, modellable). In American English, final L typically follows the same rules as other consonants (as in compellable, modelable). These are the general trends, but there is some variation within British and American English between these two methods of doubling final L.
  • The form -ible usually has the same senses and pronunciation, though sometimes equivalent terms have diverged in meaning: compare suggestable (“capable of being suggested”) with suggestible (“susceptible to influence by suggestion”). 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 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 -ate drop this suffix before adding -able; hence, communicable (“able to be communicated”), eradicable (“possible to eradicate”), implacable (“unable to be placated”), inimitable (“unable to be imitated”), and so on, but relatable, because relate is re- + -late, not rel- + -ate. Logically one should therefore say rotable to mean "able to be rotated", but rotatable has become accepted.
  • 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

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English terms suffixed with -able
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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Anagrams

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Asturian

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Etymology

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From Latin -ābilis.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈable/, [ˈa.β̞le]

Suffix

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-able (epicene, adjective-forming suffix, plural -ables)

  1. -able

Derived terms

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Asturian terms suffixed with -able

Catalan

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Etymology

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Derived from Latin -ābilis.

Pronunciation

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This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

Suffix

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-able m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -ables)

  1. -able

Usage notes

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  • 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

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Catalan terms suffixed with -able

References

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French

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Etymology

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-
    Proto-Italic *haβēō
    Latin habeō
    Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis
    Proto-Italic *-ðlis
    Latin -bilis
    Latin -ibilis
    Latin -ābilis
    Old French -able
    Middle French -able
    French -able

    Inherited from Middle French -able, from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis.

    Pronunciation

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    This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.
    Particularly: "extra-Metropolitan"

    Suffix

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    -able (plural -ables)

    1. -able

    Derived terms

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    French terms suffixed with -able

    Galician

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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    Inherited from Latin -ābilis.

    Pronunciation

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    This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!
    This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

    Suffix

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    -able m or f (adjective-forming suffix, plural -ables)

    1. -able

    Derived terms

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    From

    Galician terms suffixed with -able

    .

    Middle English

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /-ˈaːbəl/, /-ˈaːblə/

    Suffix

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    -able

    1. Forming adjectives denoting ability, relevance or inclination; -able.

    Derived terms

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    Middle English terms suffixed with -able

    Descendants

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    • English: -able
    • Scots: -able

    References

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    Middle French

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    Etymology

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      Etymology tree
      Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-
      Proto-Italic *haβēō
      Latin habeō
      Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis
      Proto-Italic *-ðlis
      Latin -bilis
      Latin -ibilis
      Latin -ābilis
      Old French -able
      Middle French -able

      Inherited from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis.

      Pronunciation

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      This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

      Suffix

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      -able (plural -ables)

      1. -able

      Descendants

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      References

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      Norwegian Bokmål

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      Alternative forms

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      Etymology

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      See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

      Pronunciation

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      Suffix

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      -able

      1. singular definite & plural form of -abel

      Anagrams

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      Old French

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      Etymology

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        Etymology tree
        Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-
        Proto-Italic *haβēō
        Latin habeō
        Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis
        Proto-Italic *-ðlis
        Latin -bilis
        Latin -ibilis
        Latin -ābilis
        Old French -able

        Inherited from Latin -ābilis.

        Pronunciation

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        This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

        Suffix

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        -able (plural -ables)

        1. worthy of, deserving of
          ‎honorer (“to honor”) + ‎-able → ‎honnorable (“honorable”)
        2. -ing, creating an effect, an influence
          ‎forsener (“to become insane or enraged”) + ‎-able → ‎forsenable (“maddening”)

        Descendants

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        References

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        Spanish

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        Etymology

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        Inherited from Old Spanish -abile, from Latin -ābilis.

        Pronunciation

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        Suffix

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        -able m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -ables)

        1. -able

        Derived terms

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        Spanish terms suffixed with -able

        Further reading

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