may | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

906 entries found.

"that may be investigated," c. 1400, from Late Latin investigabilis "that may be searched into," from Latin investigare "trace out, search after," from in- "in, into" (from PIE root *en "in") + vestigare "to track, trace," from vestigium "footprint, track" (see vestige).

contingency (n.)

1560s, "quality of being contingent, openness to chance or free will, the possibility that that which happens might not have happened," from contingent + abstract noun suffix -cy. Meaning "a chance occurrence, an accident, an event which may or may not occur" is from 1610s.

superable (adj.)

"surmountable," 1620s, from Latin superabilis "that may be overcome," from superare "to overcome, surmount, go over, rise above," from super "over" (from PIE root *uper "over") + -abilis (see -able). The negative formation insuperable is older and more common and superable may be a back-formation from it.

deliverable (adj.)

"that may be delivered," 1727, from deliver + -able.

reachable (adj.)

"that may be reached, capable of being reached," 1690s; see reach (v.) + -able.

masticable (adj.)

"capable of being chewed, that may be masticated," 1802; see masticate + -able.

arguably (adv.)

"as may be shown by argument," 1871, from arguable + -ly (2).

obtainable (adj.)

"procurable, that may be got," 1610s, from obtain + -able. Related: Obtainability.

passable (adj.)

early 15c., "that may be crossed, traversable," from pass (v.) + -able, or from Old French passable "fordable, affording passage" (14c.). Sense of "tolerable, such as may be allowed to pass" is attested from late 15c. Related: Passably.

supposedly (adv.)

"as may be supposed, presumably," 1610s, from supposed + -ly (2).

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