Dunstable

/ˈdʌnstəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Capable of being done; possible or feasible (archaic); also a place name referring to the town of Dunstable in England.

Etymology

The adjectival sense appears to derive from Middle English and is now largely archaic. The place name Dunstable comes from Old English 'Dun's stæpel' (Dun's post or meeting place), a settlement in Bedfordshire, England, documented since the 10th century.

Kelly Says

Dunstable appears in medieval manuscripts as proof that 'doable' is nothing new—for centuries English speakers tried to describe feasibility, and while 'dunstable' lost the battle to 'doable,' the impulse to make words mean 'able to be done' is ancient and human.

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