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Re: -able

From:T. A. McLeay <conlang@...>
Date:Monday, April 14, 2008, 7:00
MorphemeAddict@WMCONNECT.COM wrote:
> In a message dated 4/13/2008 23:47:47 PM Central Daylight Time, > scott.hlad@TELUS.NET writes: > > >> I'm looking for the derivation of the suffix "-able" which we have in >> English which appears the same in French and as "-avel" in Portugese. >> Any ideas? >> Scotto >> > > My first guess is that it's from Latin "-abilis".
Which in turn is -a:- + -bilis; the -a:- could also have been -i- (hence "-ible" in "impossible") or not included, hence "soluble" from "solve" (La. solu:-bilis and solvere, noting Classical Latin -v- was /w/, and it is for whatever reason one of my favorite pairs of words in English). Any decent dictionary should tell you this much. -- Tristan.

Replies

Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...>
Dana Nutter <dana.nutter@...>
Scotto Hlad <scott.hlad@...>