Post History

 > How did "payable" semantically shift to meaning 1 below?

The shift seems to be the other way round: the earliest citation that OED has for *paiable* in the sense of "which must be paid" predates its earliest citation for the sense "which can be paid" by three centuries.

> 1394 We chargede the forsaid Maner of Slapton with an annuel rente of xl pound paiable to the vs of his chaunterie ther.

> 1692 Thanks are a Tribute payable by the poorest.