Passable
/ˈpæs.ə.bəl/noun
Able to be passed through, accepted, or tolerated; moderately satisfactory.
Did you know?Its core comes from Latin *passus* (“a step”), so hidden inside this everyday word is the ancient logic of motion: a thing is “passable” only if it can be stepped through or stepped past.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peth₂-
“to spread out, extend; associated with stepping and movement in later descendants”
Latin
Latin
passus
“a step; a pace”
Late Latin
Latin
passabilis
“able to be passed”
Old French
Old French
passable
“able to be passed or crossed; tolerable”
Middle English
English
passable
“able to be passed through or accepted”
Modern English
English
passable
“able to be passed through, accepted, or tolerated”