Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-ful” come from?

-ful (English) comes from Middle English -ful, from Old English -ful, from Proto-Germanic -fullaz, from Proto-Germanic fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.

-ful (English): Used to form adjectives from nouns. Full of,...

Definitions

  1. Used to form adjectives from nouns. Full of,...

Ancestry of “-ful”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-fulAppended to nouns to form adjectives denoting...
2Old English-fulfull of; -ful
3Proto-Germanic-fullaz-ful
4Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

Words derived from “-ful”

  • useful
  • successful
  • successfully
  • helpful
  • meaningful
  • youthful
  • usefulness
  • unsuccessful
  • hopeful
  • respectful
  • joyful
  • hopefully
  • respectfully
  • colorful
  • mournful
  • stressful
  • truthful
  • fanciful
  • forceful
  • disgraceful
  • forcefully
  • insightful
  • joyfully
  • purposeful
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- →