Etymology
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soluble (adj.)

late 14c., "unconstipated;" early 15c., "capable of being dissolved," from Old French soluble "expungable, eradicable" (13c.), from Late Latin solubilis "that may be loosened or dissolved," from stem of Latin solvere "to loosen, dissolve," from PIE *se-lu-, a compound of reflexive pronoun *s(w)e- (for which see idiom) + root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart." The meaning "capable of being solved or explained" is attested from 1705 (Berkeley). Substances are soluble, but not solvable; problems can be either.

updated on March 04, 2023

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