English
unexplainable
Unexplainable comes from Latin explanō ‘to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear,…’, from plānus ‘level, flat, even’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₂-‘flat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl̥h₂nósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*plānosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEplānus‘level, flat, even’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexplanō‘to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain’
- Englishtodayunexplainable
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₂-‘flat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl̥h₂nósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*plānosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEplānus‘level, flat, even’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexplanō‘to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain’
- Englishtodayunexplainable
Formed from un- + explainable
Proto-Indo-European *n̥- ‘not, un-’
Proto-Germanic *un- ‘not, un-’
Proto-West Germanic *un- ‘not, un-’
English un-
Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- ‘flat’
Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂nós
Proto-Italic *plānos
Latin plānus ‘level, flat, even’
Latin explanō ‘to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear,…’
English explainable
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- ‘flat’
field, floor, planet, palm, clan, archipelago, fluke, parma, playa, placenta, flounder, placate, pelagic, polonium, palatine, plantar, lech, flay, veld, floe, purdah, implacable, planta, 47 more
through Proto-Italic *plānos
through Latin plānus ‘level, flat, even’
through Latin explanō ‘to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear,…’
Today it means
adj That doesn't have a known or readily available explanation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- / unexplainable