Malleable
/ˈmæl.i.ə.bəl/noun
Capable of being shaped or formed, especially by hammering or pressure.
Did you know?It comes from the same Latin root as the hammer-shaped idea behind *malleus*, and its original force is physical: something that can be hammered and remade.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“to grind, crush, or strike”
Latin
Latin
malleus
“hammer”
Latin
Latin
malleābilis
“able to be hammered or shaped”
Old French
Old French
malleable
“capable of being worked or shaped”
Middle English
English
malleable
“capable of being shaped by hammering”
Modern English
English
malleable
“easily shaped or influenced”
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