English
viable
Viable comes from French viable, from vie ‘life’, and ultimately from Latin vīta.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīta
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400viḍe
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400vie‘life’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘life’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentviable
- Englishearliest quotation 2023same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīta
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400viḍe
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400vie‘life’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘life’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentviable
- Englishearliest quotation 2023same form
Earliest quotation: 2023, David Clough, The long road that led to Beeching: “Barker believed that evidence was emerging that a "solid…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’
quick, biology, couch, kidney, hygiene, vivid, revive, zodiac, anaerobic, vive, vivacious, biogenesis, wyvern, vivacity, convivial, 60 more
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wo-teh₂
through Proto-Italic *gʷītā ‘life’
through Latin accusative
die, journal, journey, diary, sojourn, diurnal, 5 more
through Latin vīta
Today it means
adj Able to live on its own (as for a newborn).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin vīta / viable