Tunabilities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The qualities that let radios, circuits, and musical instruments be adjusted precisely to a chosen frequency or pitch
2. Capacities of electronic circuits and instruments to be modified so that they resonate at a desired frequency
3. Degrees to which devices or systems can be finely calibrated to match a specific output, setting, or pitch

Etymology: "Tunabilities" is simply the plural of "tunability," the quality of being able to be tuned. The history here is a chain of suffixes rather than a single story. English "tune" came first, and the ending "-ability" was assembled from Latin pieces: the Latin "-abilis," meaning able to be or capable of being, combined with "-itas," a noun-forming ending, giving "-abilitas." That passed through Middle French as "-abilite" and then into Middle English as "-ablete," before English settled on the modern "-ability" form. The result follows the same pattern as many other English words built this way, such as "readability" or "adaptability," where "-ability" marks something that can be done to the base word. In "tunability," the base is "tune," so the word describes how far a musical instrument, or a radio or engine, can be brought into proper adjustment. The plural simply counts several such qualities, as in different instruments or systems that differ in how easily they can be tuned.

Synonyms: tunableness