knowable

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-

Proto-Germanic *knēaną

Proto-West Germanic *knāan

Old English cnāwan

Middle English knowen

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlis

Latin -bilis

Latin -ābilis

Old French -ablebor.

Middle English -able

Middle English knowable

English knowable

Inherited from Middle English knowable. By surface analysis, know + -able.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [ˈnəʊəbɫ̩]
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): [ˈnoʊəbɫ̩]

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Australia) IPA^(key): [ˈnəʉəbɫ̩]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): [ˈnɐʉəbɫ̩]
• Rhymes: -əʊəbəl

Adjective

knowable (comparative more knowable, superlative most knowable)

1. Capable of being known, understood or comprehended.
   • 2011, Shehan Karunatilaka, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, Jonathan Cape, page 138:

     Some things are not knowable. If Pradeep Mathew had played for India or England, would he have gone on to be the greatest spinner of all time? Not knowable. How many poor bastards have perished in this bed before me? Not knowable.

Antonyms

• unknowable

Derived terms

• knowableness
• knowably
• nonknowable

Related terms

• knowability

Translations

capable of being known, understood or comprehended

• Catalan: cognoscible
• Czech: poznatelný (cs)
• French: connaissable (fr)
• Galician: coñecible (gl), coñecíbel (gl)
• Italian: conoscibile (it)
• Middle English: knowable
• Portuguese: conhecível (pt)
• Spanish: conocible (es), cognoscible (es)
• Telugu: వేద్యము (te) (vēdyamu)

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “knowable”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• knoweable

Etymology

From knowen (“to know”) +‎ -able (“-able”); compare unknowable. First attested before 1425.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /knɔu̯ˈaːbəl/, /ˈknɔu̯abəl/ (Late Middle English)

Adjective

knowable (Late Middle English)

1. Knowable; capable of being known or discerned.
2. (rare) Capable of knowing or discerning.

Derived terms

• unknowable

Descendants

• English: knowable

References

• “knouāble, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “knowable, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.