-ible

English Alternative forms en -able productive Pronunciation en /ɪbəl/ /əbəl/ en LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl--ible.wav Southern England Etymology 1 en able :inh enm:-ible<ety:der<fro:-ible>> From en enm -ible, from en fro -ible, from en la -ibilis. Suffix unproductive suffixes An adjective suffix, now usually in a passive sense; forms adjectives meaning "able to be", "relevant or suitable to, in accordance with", or expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense. convertible Usage notes The form en -able is usually used in the same sense and pronounced the same, though sometimes equivalent terms have diverged in meaning: compare en suggestable capable of being suggested with en suggestible susceptible to influence by suggestion. Generally not productive in English – most words ending in -ible are borrowed from Latin, or Old or Middle French, while en -able is more common for producing new words. Examples of production in English include en collectible and en gullible. In general, forms derived from Latin verbs of the second, third, and fourth conjugations take -ible, as well as a few words whose roots end in a soft c or g. All other words take -able, particularly words from the Latin first conjugation, words that evolved through French, and words from Anglo-Saxon. H. W. Fowler Fowler, in his English Usage, recommended using -ible for simplicity in spelling with any verb whose root ends in a soft c or g (such as changible vs. changeable), but this recommendation has generally not been followed. Adjectives ending in -ible are occasionally nominalized, as in en dirigible, en foible, en submersible. The adjective sense may become obsolete, as in en foible. A few words end in “ible” but are not related to this suffix, instead being of different origin, generally a similar Latin suffix. Examples include en crucible and en mandible. See Etymology 2, below, for details. Derived terms en -ibly 4 der en accessible en admissible en alible en apprehensible en audible en collectible en combustible en comestible en compatible en comprehensible en compressible en concupiscible en contemptible en convertible en corrigible en corruptible en credible en deductible en defeasible en defensible en destructible en diffusible en digestible en dirigible en discernible en distensible en divisible en edible en eligible en emulsible en expansible en extensible en fallible en feasible en flexible en foible en forcible en frangible en fungible en fusible en gullible en horrible en illegible en immersible en immiscible en impartible en impassible en imperceptible en impermissible en implausible en impossible en impressible en inaccessible en inadmissible en inaudible en incoercible en incombustible en incompatible en incomprehensible en incompressible en incontrovertible en inconvertible en inconvincible en incorrigible en incorruptible en incredible en indefeasible en indefectible en indefensible en indelible en indestructible en indigestible en indiscernible en indivisible en inedible en ineligible en inexhaustible en inexpressible en inextensible en infallible en infeasible en inflexible en infrangible en infusible en insensible en insuppressible en insusceptible en intangible en intelligible en invincible en invisible en irascible en irreducible en irrefrangible en irremissible en irrepressible en irresistible en irresponsible en irreversible en legible en miscible en negligible en nondeductible en omissible en ostensible en partible en passible en perceptible en perfectible en permissible en persuasible en plausible en plug-compatible en possible en prescriptible en putrescible en refrangible en remissible en reprehensible en resistible en responsible en reversible en risible en runcible spoon en self-compatible en self-incompatible en semiflexible en semisubmersible en sensible en submergible en submersible en suggestible en supersensible en susceptible en tangible en tax-deductible en terrible en transmissible en unintelligible en unsusceptible en vendible en vincible en visible Translations able to be done Catalan: ca -able, ca -ible Dutch: nl -baar Esperanto: eo -ebla Finnish: fi -tava, fi -tävä French: fr -ible Frisian: West Frisian: fy -ber Galician: gl -ábel m f, gl -able m f Georgian: ka -ადი German: de -bar Hungarian: hu -ható, hu -hető Ido: io -ebla Italian: it -ibile, it -abile Japanese: ja られる -られる rareru Portuguese: pt -ável, pt -ível Romanian: ro -bil Russian: ru -а́емый, ru -а́ющийся Swedish: sv -bar relevant or suitable to, in accordance with Dutch: various suffixes: nl -ig, nl -lijk, nl -baar, nl -ieus, etc. Italian: it di, it al m or it al alla f followed by the noun Swedish: sv -abel, sv -bar expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense Dutch: nl -baar Esperanto: eo -ebla Finnish: fi -tava, fi -tävä Galician: gl -ábel m f Italian: it -ibile, it -abile Japanese: ja られる -られる rareru Portuguese: pt -ável, pt -ível Romanian: ro -bil Spanish: es -able, es -ible Swedish: sv -bar Latin: la -abilis, la -ibilis See also en able :Category:English unproductive suffixes Etymology 2 From en enm -, from en fro -, from en la -i- + la -bulum (instrumental suffix) or la -bula (instrumental suffix), from en ine-pro *-dʰlom. Related to Latin suffixes la -brum (en candelabrum) and la -bra (en vertebra). Suffix An instrumental suffix; forms nouns representing: a tool or instrument crucible, mandible, thurible a place or location Usage notes This use of -ible is not productive in English. Confusion may arise from mistaking nouns ending with this suffix as being forms derived from the adjectival suffixes mentioned in Etymology 1 above. Derived terms en crucible mandible thurible Anagrams en beil bile Biel beli Lieb Catalan Etymology ca :lbor la:-ibilis ca la -ibilis. Suffix en -ible, -able Usage notes This suffix is used for verbs of the second and third conjugations, which end in -er, -re or -ir. For the first-conjugation verbs, which end in -ar, the suffix is ca -able. Derived terms ca French Etymology fr :inh fro:-ible fr fro -ible, from fr la -ibilis. Pronunciation Suffix en -ible Derived terms fr Further reading Old French Etymology fro :inh la:-ibilis From fro la -ibilis. Suffix fro suffix en -ible (variant of -able) Portuguese Pronunciation +<bullets:0> Suffix pt Beira Northern Portugal pt -ível Related terms pt -able Spanish Etymology es :inh la:-ibilis + 1 Pronunciation Suffix en -ible Derived terms es Related terms es -able<q:used for 1st conjugation verbs> Further reading