commensurable
UK[kəˈmenʃ(ə)rəb(ə)l]US[kəˈmenʃərəb(ə)l]
adj
(of two or more things) able to be measured or judged by the same standard or scale; comparable.
adj
(mathematics) (of numbers or quantities) having a common measure.
Morpheme Breakdown
com
mensur
able
com
together
mensur
measure
able
capable of
Etymology
The word 'commensurable' is built from Latin components, entering English in the mid-16th century. Its core logic stems from the Latin verb metiri (to measure), whose past participle mensus gives us the root mensur-. The prefix com- (together) implies a shared or common basis for measurement. Therefore, the literal construction means "capable of being measured together." This perfectly captures its modern meanings: in general use, it denotes comparability via a shared standard, while in mathematics, it specifically describes quantities that share a common unit of measure without remainder.
Analysis
Structure: com (together) + mensur (measure) + able (capable of)
- com: Latin prefix meaning 'together, with'.
- mensur: From Latin root mensus (past participle of metiri 'to measure').
- able: English suffix from Latin -abilis, forming adjectives meaning 'capable of, fit for'.
Examples
The benefits of the two policies are not commensurable, as one is economic and the other is social.
In ancient mathematics, the discovery that the side and diagonal of a square are not commensurable was profound.
For a fair debate, we need to find commensurable criteria to evaluate both artistic and technical merit.