Dotable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Deserving to be loved with great affection and attention, as someone or something one might cherish excessively
2. Worthy of being treated with fond, indulgent devotion by others who find them especially lovable
3. Able to attract the lavish, affectionate adoration that a person might show toward a favourite

Etymology: "Dotable" is built from "dote" in its old sense of endowing a bride with a dowry, the property or money a woman brought to her marriage. That sense comes from Old French "dot," which goes back to Latin "dos," meaning dowry. The suffix "-able" marks something that can be done, so the word describes a bride who can be given a dowry, or one who is considered a suitable match in terms of her portion. The verb "dote," meaning to be foolishly fond of someone, is a separate word that happens to look the same. It developed from a different source and has no connection to marriage settlements, so readers who know only the modern sense may be surprised to find the two share a spelling but not a root.