*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -ably

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able Middle English -ly English -ly English -ably From -abl

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
suffix

Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives that end in -able.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able Middle English -ly English -ly English -ably From -able + -ly.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "-able",
        "4": "-ly<id:adverbial>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *-dʰlom\nProto-Italic *-ðlom\nProto-Italic *-ðlis\nLatin -bilis\nLatin -ābilis\nOld French -ablebor.\nMiddle English -able\nEnglish -able\nMiddle English -ly\nEnglish -ly\nEnglish -ably\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"est\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"est\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"est\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-dʰlom\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ðlom\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ðlis\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-bilis\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ābilis\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-able\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-able\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-able\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ably\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-ably\">\nFrom -able + -ly."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "-able",
        "4": "-ly<id:adverbial>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *-dʰlom\nProto-Italic *-ðlom\nProto-Italic *-ðlis\nLatin -bilis\nLatin -ābilis\nOld French -ablebor.\nMiddle English -able\nEnglish -able\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nEnglish -ly\nEnglish -ably\nFrom -able + -ly."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*-dʰlom",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-dʰlom"
    ],
    [
      "*-ðlom",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-ðlom"
    ],
    [
      "*-ðlis",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-ðlis#Proto-Italic:_est"
    ],
    [
      "-bilis",
      "-bilis#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-ābilis",
      "-abilis#Latin:_est"
    ],
    [
      "-able",
      "-able#Old_French:_est"
    ],
    [
      "-able",
      "-able#Middle_English:_able_to"
    ],
    [
      "-able",
      "-able#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#Middle_English:_adverbial"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#English:_adverbial"
    ],
    [
      "-able",
      "-able#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#English:_adverbial"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives that end in -able."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "e6560167d2df3358f9f93dc5bda627ed1e6a0ac9d92ca6dad521d6daef2a52c1",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cce0c6ce7fcbdde4509d3d3278ee1df004ccb09d9d7b9852443ff949dfd4f9ee",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 77120
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -ably →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-LWFibHk