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Origins of the English word able?

In: Word and Phrase Origins, English to Latin [Edit categories]

Answer:

"able" comes from the Latin word "habilis" which also means able, or capable. "Habilis" comes from the Latin verb "habere", to have/hold, and the suffix "ilis", equivalent to the English suffix "ile" (denoting capability).

As Latin evolved into other languages such as Spanish throughout the ages, the "h" sounds became silent, which is why we now have "able" and not "hable"!

First answer by Imbri. Last edit by Imbri. Contributor trust: 4 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 3 [recommend question].

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