If something is “inept”, what is “ept?”?
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Best Answer: The word “inept” comes from the Latin word “ineptus,” which is formed from the terms “in-“, meaning not, and “aptus,” meaning suited, fitted, etc. So while “ept,” doesn’t mean anything, “apt” certainly does. They aren’t complete opposites, but as words evolve from their ancient origins, they are often “apt” to change a little.
Julia N · 9 years ago
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“inept” is incapable, “in” is a negating prefix, so to be “ept” is surely “to be able or capable.”
And as Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) said a word means exactly what I intend it to mean.
EB White coined “ept” in the 1930s. The Oxford Dictionary cites “eptly” and “eptitude”.
It is seldom wise to assert that a collection of letters isn t a word without spending some time looking.david · 2 months ago
How my heart sings 