English
arguability
Arguability comes from Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō‘to clarify, to make plain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400arguer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500arguen
- English1500–presentargue
- Englishearliest quotation 2008arguability
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō‘to clarify, to make plain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400arguer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500arguen
- English1500–presentargue
- Englishearliest quotation 2008arguability
Earliest quotation: 2008, John F. Burns, Russian Feud Goes to Court in London: “The arguability of the claims depends wholly on oral…”
A compound of argue + -ability
Latin arguō ‘to make clear, prove, accuse’
Old French arguer ‘to argue’
Middle English arguen ‘to argue’
English argue
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’
through Proto-Italic *argus
argumentative, argumentation, 29 more
through Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’
through Middle English arguen
Today it means
noun The quality or degree of being arguable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin arguō / arguability