digestible

the word 'digestible' is a late middle english formation, built upon the latin verb digerere, which itself is a compound of dis- (apart) and gerere (to carry). the core concept is of breaking down and distributing material, originally in a physical sense. the suffix -ible, also of latin origin, attaches to verb stems to create adjectives denoting capacity or susceptibility. thus, the literal construction 'able to be digested' directly reflects the modern meaning, applying first to the physiological process of breaking down food and later extending metaphorically to the mental assimilation of information.

Structure: digest + ible digest (from latin digestus, past participle of digerere meaning 'to separate, divide, dissolve') + ible (from latin suffix -ibilis, forming adjectives meaning 'able to be').