Bequeathable

/bɪˈkwiːðəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Able to be left to someone in a will or passed on as an inheritance.

Etymology

From 'bequeath' (Old English 'becwethan,' from 'be-' + 'cwethan' meaning 'to say' or 'declare') plus the suffix '-able' (capable of being). The original sense was 'to declare or say what should be done with one's possessions.'

Kelly Says

The 'say' root in bequeath is hiding in plain sight—when you bequeath something, you're literally declaring what happens to it after you're gone, which is why it sounds so formal and official.

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