incapabilis

Incapabilis is an adjective used in Filipino to describe someone who lacks the ability or capacity to perform a task or to make a decision. It is commonly found in formal, legal, medical, or ethical texts and can refer to physical incapacity, cognitive impairment, or legal incapacity to consent or enter into agreements.

Etymology and form: The term appears to be a Filipino formation built from a negating prefix and a root related to capability. It mirrors the common linguistic pattern in Filipino of adapting Spanish or Latin roots (such as incapaz or incapax) into local usage, resulting in incapabilis to denote the state of being unable or unfit.

Usage and contexts: Incapabilis is more likely to appear in formal writing than in everyday conversation. In legal or medical contexts, it may describe a person who cannot give informed consent, cannot perform certain actions due to health conditions, or lacks legal capacity to engage in a contract or decision-making process. In everyday speech, speakers might instead use phrases like hindi kayang gawin ito or walang kapasidad to express a similar idea.

Limitations and variations: The exact scope of incapabilis can vary by context and jurisdiction, especially in legal settings where capacity rules depend on specific statutes or professional guidelines. The term should be used with care to avoid ambiguity, and where precision is required, complementary language clarifying the type of incapacity is advised.

See also: incapacity, incapable, incapax, incapaz.