Etymograph

English

temptable

Temptable comes from Middle English temptable.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500temptable1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1678temptable1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English temptable
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1678, Ralph Cudworth, London: […] Richard Royston: “As concerning the Infamous and Diabolical Magick, he that…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500temptableWiktionary, English temptable
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1678temptableWiktionary, English temptable. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1678, Ralph Cudworth, London: […] Richard Royston: “As concerning the Infamous and Diabolical Magick, he that…”

Formed from tempt + -able

Proto-Indo-European *téndeti

…

Latin tentare ‘to handle, touch, try, test, tempt’

Latin temptare

Old French tempter

Middle English tempten ‘to tempt’

English tempt

The story

From Middle English temptable, probably from Old French temptable, variant of tentable; compare Latin tentābilis; equivalent to tempt + -able.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Every English word from Middle English temptable

Today it means

adj Capable of being tempted; liable to be tempted.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “temptable”. 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 / Middle English temptable / temptable

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