indistinguishable
/ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/
adjective
Origin
Latin
indistinguibilis — not distinguishable
Overview
Meaning Now
- Impossible to distinguish or differentiate from another; lacking perceptible differences.
- Not clearly identifiable or perceptible.
Literal older meaning
not capable of being pricked apart
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
indistinguishable
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word is derived from the Latin 'distinguere', which historically meant to 'prick apart' or 'separate by marks'. By the 17th century, English adopted this term to describe things that possess no recognizable boundary or difference between them.
Evolution
- Latin
in- + distinguere
“not to prick apart”
Base of the modern construction
- Middle French
indistinguible
“indistinguishable”
- English, 17th Century
indistinguishable
“not capable of being distinguished”
Connections
Word parts
in-
prefix
not
distinguish
root
to separate or mark apart
-able
suffix
capable of being
Related across languages
French
indistinguable
indistinguishable
Italian
indistinguibile
indistinguishable
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.