Variabilis

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A term used to describe something capable of change or variability in different conditions or contexts
2. Referring to elements that can exhibit alterations in state, form, or nature depending on various factors
3. Denoting characteristics that are not fixed and can fluctuate based on circumstances or influences

Etymology: "Variabilis" is the Latin adjective from which English "variable" comes. It derives from "varius," meaning "various, diverse, changeable," combined with the suffix "-abilis," which denotes capability or susceptibility, as in "able" or "-ible." Its core sense is therefore "capable of being varied" or "liable to change." The root "varius" carries a surprising earlier colour. Its original sense was "spotted" or "speckled," and it is often linked to words describing mottled or dappled appearance, so the notion of change began with visible patchiness. Roman writers used "varius" for animals with irregular markings and for a diversity of things generally, and the step from "marked with different colours" to "different from one another" to "not constant" was a short one. English borrowed "variable" in the 14th century, through Old French "variable," from the Latin adjective. In Latin, "variabilis" was used of things that could be altered or were inconstant, and English kept that adjectival sense. The noun use, meaning a changeable quantity in mathematics or science, came much later, developing in the 17th century as a technical term.