'provocable' originates from Latin and Old French via English word formation, specifically ultimately from the Latin verb 'provocare', where 'pro-' meant 'forth' or 'forward' and 'vocare' meant 'to call'. The English adjective is formed by adding the suffix '-able' (from French/Latin '-abilis') to the verb 'provoke'.

'provocable' developed from Latin 'provocabilis' (Medieval Latin) and Old French formations (e.g. 'provocable/ provokeable'), later entering Middle English influence from the verb 'provoken'/'provoke' and the adjectival suffix to yield modern English 'provocable'.

Initially related to the idea of 'calling forth' or 'challenging' (from 'provocare'), the sense shifted toward producing a reaction (especially anger) and the adjective came to mean 'capable of being provoked' in modern usage.