English
invulnerable
Invulnerable comes from Latin invulnerābilis, from vulnerābilis ‘injurious, wounding, vulnerable’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *welanos.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*welanosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvulnus‘wound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvulnerō‘to wound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvulnerābilis‘injurious, wounding, vulnerable’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvulnerābilis
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600invulnérable
- Englishearliest quotation 1979invulnerable
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*welanosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvulnus‘wound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvulnerō‘to wound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvulnerābilis‘injurious, wounding, vulnerable’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvulnerābilis
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600invulnérable
- Englishearliest quotation 1979invulnerable
Earliest quotation: 1979, Brian Daley: “His gaze went to Hirken, who stood gloating behind…”
Formed from in- + vulnerable
Proto-Italic *welanos
Latin vulnus ‘wound’
Latin vulnerō ‘to wound’
Late Latin vulnerābilis ‘injurious, wounding’
English vulnerable
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *welh₃- ‘to hit’
Today it means
adj Incapable of being injured; not vulnerable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *welanos / invulnerable