English
delectable
Delectable comes from Medieval Latin delectō ‘to delight’, and goes back to Latin lactō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElactō1
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500delectō2as delectare‘to delight’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400delectable2
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600délectable2
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500delectable2
- Englishearliest quotation 2009delectable2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin delecto
- 2 Wiktionary, English delectable
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2009, Gretchen Morgenson, Bailout Needs Some Strings Attached to Limit Pay: “These include such delectables as cars and drivers, country…”.
Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElactōWiktionary, Latin delecto
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500delectōWiktionary, English delectableas delectare‘to delight’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400delectableWiktionary, English delectable
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600délectableWiktionary, English delectable
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500delectableWiktionary, English delectable
- Englishearliest quotation 2009delectableWiktionary, English delectable. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2009, Gretchen Morgenson, Bailout Needs Some Strings Attached to Limit Pay: “These include such delectables as cars and drivers, country…”
Linked words
through Latin lactō
through Medieval Latin delectō ‘to delight’
Today it means
adj Highly pleasing; delightful, especially to any of the senses; delicious.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “delectable”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin delecto. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Latin lactō / delectable