Pliable
/ˈplaɪ.ə.bəl/noun
Capable of being bent, shaped, or influenced easily.
Did you know?Pliable comes through Old French from Latin plicāre, the same root behind words like complicate and replicate—originally all about folding, twisting, and layering things together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plek-
“to weave, plait, or fold”
Latin
Latin
plicāre
“to fold, bend, or plait”
Latin
Latin
-ābilis
“capable of being”
Old French
Old French
pleiable
“capable of being bent or folded”
Middle English
English
pliable
“easily bent, flexible, adaptable”
Modern English
English
pliable
“able to be bent or influenced easily”
Explore more surprising origins