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Origin and history of voluble

voluble(adj.)

late 14c., "able to turn, revolving with ease," from Latin volubilis "that turns around, rolling, flowing," figuratively (of speech) "fluent, rapid," from volvere "to turn around, roll" (from PIE root *wel- (3) "to turn, revolve").

Also in Middle English "liable to constant change" (early 15c., now obsolete). The meaning "fluent, talkative, characterized by great flow of words" is recorded in English from 1580s. Related: Volubly.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to voluble

volubility(n.)

"excessive fluency or readiness in speaking," 1580s, from French volubilité (16c.) or directly from Latin volubilitatem (nominative volubilitas) "a rapid turning," figuratively "fluency (of speech)," from volubilis (see voluble). Used in 1570s with a sense of "mental versatility."

*wel-(3)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to turn, revolve," with derivatives referring to curved, enclosing objects.

It might form all or part of: archivolt; circumvolve; convoluted; convolution; devolve; elytra; evolution; evolve; Helicon; helicopter; helix; helminth; lorimer; ileus; involve; revolt; revolution; revolve; valve; vault (v.1) "jump or leap over;" vault (n.1) "arched roof or ceiling;" volte-face; voluble; volume; voluminous; volute; volvox; volvulus; vulva; wale; walk; wallet; wallow; waltz; well (v.) "to spring, rise, gush;" welter; whelk; willow.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit valate "turns round," ulvam "womb, vulva;" Lithuanian valtis "twine, net," vilnis "wave," apvalus "round;" Old Church Slavonic valiti "roll, welter," vlŭna "wave;" Greek eluein "to roll round, wind, enwrap," eilein "twist, turn, squeeze; revolve, rotate," helix "spiral object;" Latin volvere "to turn, twist;" Gothic walwjan "to roll;" Old English wealwian "roll," weoloc "whelk, spiral-shelled mollusk;" Old High German walzan "to roll, waltz;" Old Irish fulumain "rolling;" Welsh olwyn "wheel."

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