From Latin 'legere' (to read, originally to gather) — same root as 'select,' 'elect,' 'collect,' and 'intellect.'
Clear enough to be read; easily decipherable, especially of handwriting or print.
From Late Latin 'legibilis' meaning 'that can be read,' from Latin 'legere' (to read, to gather, to choose). The suffix '-bilis' (English '-ble') indicates capacity or fitness. The Latin verb 'legere' originally meant 'to gather' — reading was metaphorically understood as gathering letters
The French word for 'readable' is 'lisible,' not 'légible' — because French inherited 'legere' through natural sound change (Latin 'legere' became Old French 'lire'), while English borrowed 'legible' directly from Latin, preserving the original form. This is why English has the learned Latinate 'legible' alongside the everyday Germanic 'readable.'