English
estimable
Estimable comes from Latin aestimābilis ‘estimable, valuable, worthy of appraisement’, and goes back to Old Latin aestumō.
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEaestumō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaestimāre
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaestimābilis‘estimable, valuable, worthy of appraisement’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400estimable
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEaestumō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaestimāre
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaestimābilis‘estimable, valuable, worthy of appraisement’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400estimable
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “A pound of man's flesh taken from a man…”
Formed from esteem + -able
Latin aestimō ‘to determine the value of something’
Old French estimer ‘to think’
Middle French estimer ‘to think’
English esteem
Linked words
through Old Latin aestumō
Today it means
adj Worthy of esteem; admirable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Latin aestumō / estimable