Bespeakable
/bɪˈspiːkəbl/noun
Capable of being spoken for, ordered, or arranged in advance.
Did you know?The word comes from the old English sense of *bespeak*, meaning to arrange, commission, or order something ahead of time, not to “speak” in a magical way.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
specan / sprecan
“to speak, utter words”
Middle English
ME
bespeken
“to speak to, address, request, or arrange beforehand”
14th Century
English
bespeke
“to order or commission in advance”
16th Century
English
bespeakable
“capable of being ordered, arranged, or spoken for beforehand”
Modern English
English
bespeakable
“capable of being arranged or ordered in advance”