nameable
|neɪ-mə-bəl|
🇺🇸
/ˈneɪməbəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈneɪməbl/
able to be named
Etymology
'nameable' originates in Modern English as a formation combining the verb/noun 'name' + the adjective-forming suffix '-able' (from Latin '-abilis' via Old French), where '-able' meant 'able to be'.
The element 'name' comes from Old English 'nama' (noun) / 'neman' (verb) ultimately from Proto-Germanic '*namn-'/'*nem-'. The suffix '-able' comes from Latin '-abilis' (via Old French), and combining them produced 'nameable' in English to mean 'able to be named'.
Initially the components meant 'a word or label' ('name') and 'able to' ('-able'); together they evolved into the adjective meaning 'able to be named' with little semantic shift beyond productivity of the suffix.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
able to be given a name; capable of being named or called by a specific name.
The newly discovered species is nameable once researchers agree on its distinguishing features.
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Adjective 2
(Linguistics/logic) Capable of being referred to or assigned a particular name or identifier.
In the program, only nameable objects can be registered in the lookup table.
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Last updated: 2025/12/20 18:45