-blesuffix

Etymology: < Old French -ble < Latin -bilem , nominative -bilis , suffix forming verbal adjectives, with the sense ‘given to, tending to, like to, fit to, able to’; as in stabilis ‘like, fit to stand.’ After consonant stems, -ibili- , as vendibilis , vincibilis ; after stems ending in a , e , i , o , u , -ābilis , -ēbilis , -ībilis , -ōbilis , -ūbilis , as honōrābilis , delēbilis , sepelībilis , nōbilis , volūbilis . Some of these Latin words lived on into Old French, e.g. noble , amable , fleble , meuble ; later, these became models for the extensive adoption of others from the Latin of literature. Many of both sorts were from 12th to 15th centuries adopted in English from French, and here served as models for the direct adoption or formation of others from Latin, a process which has gone on to the present day. By far the most numerous of the -ble words are those in -able . In Latin, -ābilis adjectives arose only from verbs in -āre ; but, in French, all present participles in -ant may give rise to an adjective in -able , and as -ant is now the universal form of present participle, -able is the universal form of the adjective suffix as a living element; -ible being only a fossil survival in words from Latin like horrible , possible , visible , not directly attached to a living French verb. When the verb lives in French, a modern adjective in -able has always taken the place of the earlier -ible form, as in vendable , croyable , préférable , for Latin vendibilis , credibilis , *praeferibilis . But in English there is a prevalent feeling for retaining -ible wherever there was or might be a Latin -ibilis ; while -able is used for words of distinctly French or English origin, as conceivable adj., movable adj., speakable adj.. Hence, where there is a verb in French and English, as well as in Latin, English usage is distracted by conflicting and irreconcileable analogies. Thus in the compounds of -fer , Latin fero , Latin analogy requires preferible , referible (Walker, Rhym. Dict.), sufferible ; French example gives preferable , referable ; French and English analogy sufferable (cf. suffering adj.); English analogy (cf. referring adj.) gives referrable (Bailey), conferrable adj., deferrable adj.; there is also a mongrel spelling referrible , sanctioned by Dr. Johnson, but defensible on no analogy. So with the variant spellings admittable , admittible , tractable , contractible , partable , partible . These discrepancies no mere etymological grounds can settle; though their number might be lessened by following French precedent, and extending -able to all words having a verb (with the same accent) in English, thus admittable adj., contractable adj., vendable adj., etc., leaving -ible in credible adj., intelligible adj., legible adj., possible adj., etc. See -able suffix, -ible suffix.The omission or retention of a final e mute before -able is also to a certain extent optional. In words directly from Latin it is etymologically absent, as in excusable adj., declinable adj.; in words from English (beside cases where it must be orthographically retained after c , g , as peaceable adj., changeable adj., chargeable adj., the latter also in French), there is a prevalent feeling for retaining the e in monosyllables, as tameable adj., nameable adj., saleable adj., which otherwise would have their meaning obscured (e.g. tamable , namable , salable ). This produces ambiguity of form in such words as blamable (French blâmable ,) blameable , movable , moveable , lovable , loveable , sizable , sizeable , etc. As much reason can be given and as much authority cited for one spelling as for the other, and until a reform of English spelling is made, the double form of these words must continue. In words of English formation, a final consonant is usually doubled before -able , when doubled in the present participle, as clubbable adj., biddable adj., deferrable adj.