Compoundable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being formed into a whole from distinct parts or elements
2. Able to be combined or synthesized to create a more complex unit
3. Describing substances or materials that can undergo a process of combination or amalgamation

Etymology: "Compoundable" is a plain English formation: the verb "compound" (to combine, to mix together) with the suffix "-able," meaning able to be done or capable of. Put together, the word describes something capable of being combined, whether that is a chemical, a financial debt, or a set of ingredients. The suffix has a longer ancestry than the base. "-able" passed into English through Old French "-able," which came from Latin "-ābilis" and earlier "-bilis," a formation meaning "capable of" that attached to verb stems. English took the suffix in the Middle English period and began attaching it freely to native and borrowed verbs, which is why it now appears on words of many origins. Note that "compound" itself came into English from Old French, from Latin "componere," meaning "to put together," so the word combines a Latin verb with a Latin-derived suffix, all assembled in English.