Where does “HB pencil” come from?
HB pencil (English) comes from English pencil, from Old French pincil, from Latin pēniculus, from Latin -culus, from Proto-Italic *-kelos — Diminutive suffix.
Ancestry of “HB pencil”, step by step
HB pencil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pencil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pencil | A paintbrush |
| 2 | Old French | pincil | — |
| 3 | Latin | pēniculus | — |
| 4 | Latin | -culus | Alternative form of -ulus; added to a noun to... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *-kelos | Diminutive suffix |
via English Hb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hb | (describing a pencil that makes lighter marks than a grade B, but darker marks than a grade H pencil) |