English
movability
Movability comes from Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmovēre
- Old Northern Frenchc. 842–1400mover
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500moven
- English1500–presentmove
- Englishearliest quotation 1875movability
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmovēre
- Old Northern Frenchc. 842–1400mover
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500moven
- English1500–presentmove
- Englishearliest quotation 1875movability
Earliest quotation: 1875, to December, The Dublin Journal of Medical Science: “His progressive improvement will be best indicated by noting…”
A compound of move + -ability
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move, drive’
…
Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’
Latin moveō ‘move’
Old Northern French mover ‘to move’
Middle English moven
English move
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move’
through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti
automotive, automobile, promoter, remover, emotionless, immobile, 81 more
through Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’
emotional, auto, promote, remove, motor, mobile, promotion, remote, emotion, momentum, motive, motivate, motif, mobility, mobilization, removable, mobilize, emote, mobilisation, mobilise, motile, motility, 87 more
through Latin movēre
through Middle English moven
through English move
Today it means
noun The condition of being movable; ability or capacity to be moved.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- / movability