a. Obs. Forms: 4 companabile, -pynabil, -pyn-, -peyn-, -paign-, 4–5 -payn-, 4–6 -pin-, 4–7 -pen-, 5 -paygnable, -penabyll, -penabull, 6 cumpynable, -abul, coumpinable, 4–7 companable. [a. OF. cum-, compagnable, -aignable, f. compagnier to COMPANY: see -BLE. Cf. the variant COMPANIABLE.]
Sociable, friendly, companionable.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter lxxvii. 56. Companabile til mannys kynde.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Shipman’s T., 4. Companable, and reuerent was sche.
1386. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 327. Compynable among hem self [inter se sociales].
c. 1450[?]. Horn of K. Arthur, 110, in Child, Ballads (1861), I. 21. Ther wyves hath ben merchandabull, And of ther ware compenabull.
1513. More, Edw. V., in Stow, Annals (1592), 717. Hee [Richard III.] was … outwardly coumpinable where he inwardly hated.
1538. Starkey, England, I. i. (1871), 13. Lyuyng togydder in a cumpynabul lyfe.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, xv. (1664), 155. His gracious, and compenable, and vertuous mind.
1611. Cotgr., Accompagnable, companable, sociable.
Hence † Companableness, † Companably adv.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia (1622), 169. His wordes [full] of hearty companablenesse.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 333/4. To lyue … compaynably, contynently and humbly.
