English
nubile
Nubile comes from Latin nūbilis ‘marriageable’, from nūbō ‘marry, to take as husband’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*snewbʰ-1‘to marry, to wed’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnūbō1‘marry, to take as husband’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnūbilis1‘marriageable’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnubile1
- Englishearliest quotation 1921nubile1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English nubile
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1921, Aldous Huxley, London: Chatto & Windus: “Pretty little thing, isn't she?" said Mrs. Budge huskily,…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*snewbʰ-Wiktionary, English nubile‘to marry, to wed’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnūbōWiktionary, English nubile‘marry, to take as husband’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnūbilisWiktionary, English nubile‘marriageable’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnubileWiktionary, English nubile
- Englishearliest quotation 1921nubileWiktionary, English nubile. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1921, Aldous Huxley, London: Chatto & Windus: “Pretty little thing, isn't she?" said Mrs. Budge huskily,…”
The story
Possibly cognate with Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, young wife, nymph”) (English nymph), but this is disputed.disputed Scholars disagree here; the competing view is quoted as the source gives it.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ- ‘to marry, to wed’
lymphoma, lymph, nymph, 6 more
through Latin nūbō ‘marry, to take as husband’
Today it means
adj Of an age suitable for marriage; marriageable (principally of a young woman).
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “nubile”. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ- / nubile