Etymograph

English

interpretable

Interpretable comes from Late Latin interpretābilis ‘explicable’, from interpretor ‘to explain, expound’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpres‘agent, translator’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEinterpretor‘to explain, expound’
  5. Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEinterpretābilis‘explicable’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2021interpretable

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpres‘agent, translator’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEinterpretor‘to explain, expound’
  5. Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEinterpretābilis‘explicable’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2021interpretable

Earliest quotation: 2021, Arkady Martine, A Desolation Called Peace: “There was an expression there, but not much of…”

Formed from interpret + -able

Old French enterpreter

Middle English interpreten

English interpret

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, support, far, per, report, further, price, fear, opportunity, practice, private, press, primary, port, prior, prime, pre, afford, ford, prize, forth, appreciate, practical, pregnant, praise, parade, par, precious, privilege, ferry, porch, pardon, pirate, fare, primitive, prix, pragmatic, afar, privy, 158 more

through Latin inter ‘between’

intestine, internist, 9 more

Today it means

adj Capable of being interpreted or explained.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / interpretable

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