Wordwyrt

debatable

/dəˈbeɪtəbəl/duh-BAY-tuh-buhl
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/dəˈbeɪtəbəl/duh-BAY-tuh-buhl

Meaningopen to debate

Common meaning: uncertain, arguable

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Journey through time

  1. Latinbattere‘to beat’source
  2. Old Frenchdebatre‘to argue’source
  3. Middle Englishdebatensource
  4. Englishdebate‘argue formally’
  5. Englishformed in English from debatedebatable‘uncertain, arguable’ · 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 debate + -able.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), DEBATE, p.154 · scan

Source words

  • battere Latin · source word “to beat”

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