The Grammar of English Grammars, page 450 by Gould Brown
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r suiting, and not able to suit, or capable of being suited.
OBS. 19.--Though all words that terminate in able, used as a suffix, are properly reckoned derivatives, rather than compounds, and in the former class the separate meaning of the parts united is much less regarded than in the latter; yet, in the use of words of this formation, it would be well to have some respect to the general analogy of their signification as stated above; and not to make derivatives of the same fashion convey meanings so very different as do some of these. Perhaps it is from some general notion of their impropriety, that several words of this doubtful character have already become obsolete, or are gradually falling into disuse: as, _accustomable, chanceable, concordable, conusable, customable, behoovable, leisurable, medicinable, personable, powerable, razorable, shapable, semblable, vengeable, veritable_. Still, there are several others, yet currently employed, which might better perhaps, for the same reason, give place to more regular terms: as, amicable, for friendly or _kind_; charitable, for benevolent or _liberal_; colourable, for apparent or _specious_; peaceable, for peaceful or _unhostile_; pleasurable, for pleasing or _delightful_; profitable, for gainful or _lucrative_; sociable, for social or _affable_; reasonable, for rational or just.
OBS. 20.--In respect to the orthography of words ending in able or ible, it is sometimes difficult to determine which of these endings ought to be preferred; as whether we ought to write tenable or _tenible, reversable_ or _reversible, addable_ or addible. In Latin, the termination is bilis, and the preceding vowel is determined by the conjugation to which the verb belongs. Thus, for verbs of the first conjugation, it is _a_; as, from <