"readiness to be sociable or to converse," late 15c., from Old French affabilité (14c.), noun of quality from affable (see affable).
Entries linking to affability
affable adj.
of persons, "open to conversation or approach," late 15c., from Old French affable "benign, approachable" (14c.), from Latin affabilis "approachable, courteous, kind, friendly," literally "who can be (easily) spoken to," from affari "to speak to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + fari "to speak" (from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say"). Related: Affably. Glossed in Old English as wordwynsum.