See also: able

English [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ]

-ible ( not productive )

Etymology [ edit ]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Suffix [ edit ]

-able

An adjectival suffix ; forms adjectives meaning: 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 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

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 adjectives from all sorts of verbs, nouns, and even verb phrases, such as kickable, get-at-able, and clubbable.

was added to stems of English verbs ending in , 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 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 .

is usually dropped when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel, which is followed by , the is dropped when adding if the root ends with a soft and , as in and , so that these are not misinterpreted as hard ‘c’ or ‘g’ sounds. This same rule is used for , as in . As when adding the suffix -ed , a final consonant of a root should be doubled if the preceding vowel is short and (in British English) stressed.

, a final consonant of a root should be doubled if the preceding vowel is short and (in British English) stressed. 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.

has the same senses and pronunciation. The choice between the two is somewhat idiosyncratic, but in general, 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 or , while 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 recommends using for simplicity's sake in word whose root ends in a soft or to avoid (e.g., rather than ), 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.

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 ; hence, , , , 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 imitate ” ) , 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.

drop this suffix before adding ; hence, , , , , and so on, but , because is + , not + . Logically one should therefore say to mean "able to be rotated", but 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 [ edit ]





Related terms [ edit ]

Translations [ edit ]

expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense Finnish: -tava -tävä

German: -wert

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 Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams [ edit ]

Catalan [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

From Old Occitan, from Latin -ābilis.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Suffix [ edit ]

-able (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 ]

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

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Suffix [ edit ]

-able (plural -ables)

Galician [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

From Latin -ābilis.

Suffix [ edit ]

-able

Derived terms [ edit ]





Middle French [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

From Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis.

Suffix [ edit ]

-able (plural -ables)

Descendants [ edit ]

Norwegian Bokmål [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Suffix [ edit ]

-able

singular definite & plural form of -abel

References [ edit ]

“-able” in The Bokmål Dictionary .

. “-abel” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Anagrams [ edit ]

Old French [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

From Latin -ābilis.

Suffix [ edit ]

-able (plural -ables)

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

Descendants [ edit ]

Spanish [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

From Old Spanish, from Latin -ābilis.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Suffix [ edit ]

-able (plural -ables)