Soluble
/ˈsɒl.jə.bəl/noun
Able to be dissolved in a liquid; capable of being solved or explained.
Did you know?Its deepest root is tied to the ancient idea of loosening or untying, the same root behind words like “solve” and “dissolve,” where Latin treated breaking apart as a kind of release.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sewH-
“To loosen, untie, release”
Latin
Latin
solvere
“To loosen, release, unbind, pay off”
Late Latin
Latin
solubilis
“Able to be loosened or dissolved”
Old French
Old French
soluble
“Capable of being dissolved”
14th Century
Middle English
soluble
“Capable of being dissolved in liquid or broken down”