Wordwyrt

fathomable

/ˈfæðəməbəl/FA-thuh-muh-buhl
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈfæðəməbəl/FA-thuh-muh-buhl

Meaningthat one can fathom

Common meaning: able to be understood

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Journey through time

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pat-‘spread out, lie flat or open’source
  2. Old Englishfæðm‘arms spread wide’sourceB&T
  3. Middle Englishfadomsource
  4. Englishfathom‘a measure of six feet’
  5. Englishformed in English from fathomfathomable‘able to be understood’ · 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 fathom + -able.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), FATHOM, p.204 · scan

Source words

  • fæðm Old English · source word “embrace”

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