Wordwyrt

accountable

/əˈkaʊntəbəl/uh-KOWN-tuh-buhl
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/əˈkaʊntəbəl/uh-KOWN-tuh-buhl

Meaningable to be called to account

Common meaning: responsible for one's actions

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‘to, towards’ + ‘to count, to tell’ → accountable

Journey through time

  1. Latinad- + conter‘to, towards + to count, to tell’source
  2. Old Frenchacontersource
  3. Middle Englishaccountensource
  4. Englishaccount‘to reckon’
  5. Englishformed in English from accountaccountable‘responsible for one's actions’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from account + -able.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), ACCOUNT, p.6 · scan

Roots

  • aconter Old French “to count up”
  • conter Old French “to count, to tell”

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