Sayable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Able to be articulated or expressed in speech or writing
2. Having the quality that allows it to be said aloud clearly
3. Suitable or possible to pronounce or communicate verbally

Etymology: "Sayable" is a plain formation: the verb "say" with the suffix "-able," meaning capable of being done. The suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It traces back through Latin "-abilis" and "-ābilis" and Old French "-able" to a Proto-Indo-European element, and it entered English in Middle English as "-able." Attached to "say," it produces an adjective for something that can be put into words and spoken aloud. The verb behind it has an older and more tangled history. "Say" descends from Old English "secgan," which passed through Proto-Germanic "sagjanǫ" and is traced back to a Proto-Indo-European root "sekʷ-," meaning to say or to follow. Middle English forms like "seien" show the word already shifting toward the modern spelling and sound.

Synonyms: expressible, articulable

Antonyms: inexpressible