English
accostable
Accostable comes from French accostable ‘approachable (of a person)’, and goes back to coste.
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcoste
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentaccoster‘to approach someone’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentaccostable‘approachable (of a person)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1876same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcoste
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentaccoster‘to approach someone’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentaccostable‘approachable (of a person)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1876same form
Earliest quotation: 1876, Nathaniel Hawthorne: “Old soldiers, I know not why, seem to be…”
Formed from accost + -able
Old French coste ‘side, flank’
Old French acoster ‘to stand beside’
Middle French accoster
English accost
Every English word from French coste
Today it means
adj Approachable; affable; willing to be accosted.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / French coste / accostable