'inoperable' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'inoperabilis,' where 'in-' meant 'not' and 'operabilis' meant 'workable or operable.'

'inoperabilis' transformed into the French word 'inopérable,' and eventually became the modern English word 'inoperable' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'not workable or operable,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.