Etymology. 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”).
“having sufficient power or means,” early 14c., from Old French (h)able “capable; fitting, suitable; agile, nimble” (14c.), from Latin habilem, habilis “easily handled, apt,” verbal adjective from habere “to hold” (from PIE root *ghabh- “to give or receive”).
Beside this, What does ible and able mean?
The suffixes “-able” and “-ible” are both used to form adjectives meaning “possible, capable of, suitable for, or causing.” Of the two, “-able” is much more common: it is what’s known as a “living” or “productive” suffix, meaning that it is still being used to create new words.
Likewise, What is the difference between ible and able?
1. The suffix ‘able’ is attached to complete root words while ‘ible’ is generally connected to incomplete root words. … The suffix ‘able’ is usually attached to root words that are non-Latin in origin whereas ‘ible’ is usually used with words of Latin nature.
Also, What are words with the suffix able?
adorable Your new puppy is adorable.
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advisable Doing your homework on time is advisable.
agreeable The decision to move was agreeable.
available I’ll let you know when she’s available to talk.
believable Your story seems believable.
What type of word is able?
able is an adjective that usually comes after some form of be, ably is an adverb, ability is a noun:John is able to run fast.
17 Related Question Answers Found
What dies the suffix able mean?
a suffix meaning “capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to,” associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin (laudable); used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition to stems of any origin (teachable; photographable).
Is Able The root word of ability?
Able comes from the Latin word habilis, “easily handled or apt.” The h is silent in Latin, which led to it being dropped from the English able. Definitions of able. adjective. (usually followed by `to’) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.
What type of suffix is able?
adjectival suffix
What is the root of Able?
“having sufficient power or means,” early 14c., from Old French (h)able “capable; fitting, suitable; agile, nimble” (14c.), from Latin habilem, habilis “easily handled, apt,” verbal adjective from habere “to hold” (from PIE root *ghabh- “to give or receive”).
Why do some words end in able or ible?
Words ending in “-able” or “-ible” The suffixes “-able” and “-ible” are both used to form adjectives meaning “possible, capable of, suitable for, or causing.” Of the two, “-able” is much more common: it is what’s known as a “living” or “productive” suffix, meaning that it is still being used to create new words.
How do you know when to use ible or able?
Use the –able ending if the root word is not changed e.g. comfort – comfortable. Use the –able ending if there is a related word that ends in –ation e.g. consideration – considerable. Use the –ible ending when you can’t hear a whole root word e.g invisible.
What kind of word is able?
able is an adjective that usually comes after some form of be, ably is an adverb, ability is a noun:John is able to run fast.
What is the full meaning of Able?
capable of, fit for
What’s a root word example?
A basic word to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes) are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word. … For example, the word lovely consists of the word love and the suffix -ly. In contrast, a root is the basis of a new word, but it does not typically form a stand-alone word on its own.
What is the root to a word?
A word root is the base part of a word (i.e., less any prefixes and suffixes). To change the meaning of a word, a prefix can be added to the front of the word root, or a suffix can be added to the back. Quite often, a prefix and a suffix are added to a word root to change the meaning.
What is the rule for Able and ible?
Here is the rule: If you remove -able from a word, you are left with a complete word (renewable, renew). If you remove -ible from a word, you are not left with a complete word (sensible, sens). But note that accessible, contemptible, digestible, flexible and suggestible are among the exceptions to this rule.
What words have the suffix able?
– comfortable.
– sustainable.
– unfavorable.
– accountable.
– respectable.
– fashionable.
– unavailable.
– practicable.
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