Potable
/ˈpoʊ.tə.bəl/noun
Safe or suitable for drinking.
Did you know?Potable comes through French and Latin from the same root behind “potation,” so its history is tied to the old world of drinking, not to any occult meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
potābilis
“drinkable; fit for drinking”
Classical Latin
Latin
potāre
“to drink”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₃-
“to drink”
Old French
Old French
potable
“drinkable”
Middle English
English
potable
“fit to drink”
Modern English
English
potable
“safe or suitable for drinking”