Etymograph

English

memorable

Memorable comes from Latin memorābilis ‘being memorable or remarkable, unforgettable,…’, from memorō ‘to bring to remembrance’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)mer-‘to think, remember’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemor‘mindful, remembering’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemorō‘to bring to remembrance’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemorābilis‘being memorable or remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of mention, glorious’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500memorable
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1599same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)mer-‘to think, remember’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemor‘mindful, remembering’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemorō‘to bring to remembrance’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemorābilis‘being memorable or remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of mention, glorious’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500memorable
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1599same form

Earliest quotation: 1599, John Davies: “Men have surviving Fame to gain, By Tombs, by…”

Equivalent to memory + -able

Latin memor ‘mindful, remembering’

Latin memoria ‘memory; remembrance’

Anglo-Norman memorie

English memory

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- ‘to think, remember’

merit, martyr, mourn, mer, moratorium, mora, 18 more

through Latin memor ‘mindful, remembering’

remember, memoir, 5 more

Today it means

adj Worthy to be remembered; very important or remarkable.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- / memorable

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