'damnable' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'damnare,' where the root 'damn-' meant 'to condemn' and the suffix '-able' meant 'capable of' or 'worthy of'.

'damnable' developed from Middle English 'damnable' (influenced by Old French forms and the Latin 'damnare'), ultimately tracing back to Latin 'damnare'.

Initially, it meant 'liable to condemnation' (in a legal or moral sense); over time it retained the core sense of 'worthy of condemnation' and also came to be used more broadly as a strong negative descriptor and as an emphatic intensifier.