'traversable' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'trānsversābilis,' where 'trāns-' meant 'across' and 'versāre' meant 'to turn.'

'trānsversābilis' transformed into the Old French word 'traverser,' and eventually became the modern English word 'traverse' and its adjective form 'traversable.'

Initially, it meant 'capable of being crossed,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.