potable

English

WOTD – 22 March 2021

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English potable (drinkable, potable),[1] from Middle French, Old French potable (modern French potable (drinkable, potable)), and from its etymon Late Latin pōtābilis (drinkable, potable), from Latin pōtāre (to drink) + -bilis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a capacity or worth of being acted upon).[2] Pōtāre is the present active infinitive of pōtō (to drink), from Proto-Italic *pōtos, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₃- (to drink).

The English word is cognate with Catalan potable, Italian potabile, Spanish potable.[2]

The noun is derived from the adjective.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpəʊtəbəl/, (non-standard) /ˈpɒt-/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpoʊtəbəl/, (non-standard) /ˈpɑt-/
  • Homophone: pottable (non-standard)
  • Hyphenation: pot‧a‧ble

Adjective

potable (comparative more potable, superlative most potable)

  1. (formal) Good for drinking without fear of disease or poisoning.
    Synonyms: drinkable, drinkworthy

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

potable (plural potables)

  1. Any drinkable liquid; a beverage.
    • 1708, John Philips, Cyder, London: J. Tonson:
      When solar beams / Parch thirsty human veins, the damask'd meads, / Unforc'd display ten thousand painted flow'rs / Useful in potables.

Translations

References

  1. pō̆tāble, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. potable, adj. and n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2006; potable, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

Anagrams


Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pōtābilis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /poˈtable/, [poˈt̪a.β̞le]

Adjective

potable (epicene, plural potables)

  1. potable (good for drinking)

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pōtābilis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

potable (masculine and feminine plural potables)

  1. potable

Further reading


French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin pōtābilis, from Latin poto.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔ.tabl/
  • (file)

Adjective

potable (plural potables)

  1. potable
  2. (colloquial) OK, passable
    Tu penses quoi de la meuf de ton frère ? Potable, sans plus.What do you think about your brother's girlfriend? Alright‚ nothing more.
    Synonym: correct

Further reading


Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French potable, from Latin pōtābilis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔˈtaːbəl/, /pɔːˈtaːbəl/

Adjective

potable (rare, Late Middle English)

  1. Suitable for drinking; potable.

Descendants

  • English: potable

References


Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pōtābilis.

Adjective

potable m (oblique and nominative feminine singular potable)

  1. potable

Declension

Descendants


Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pōtābilis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /poˈtable/ [poˈt̪a.β̞le]
  • Rhymes: -able
  • Syllabification: po‧ta‧ble

Adjective

potable (plural potables)

  1. potable, drinkable

Derived terms

Further reading

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