Where does “cheekful” come from?
cheekful (English) comes from English cheek, from Middle English cheeke, from Old English ċēce, from Proto-West Germanic kākā, from Proto-Germanic kēkǭ, from Proto-Indo-European ǵyewh₁- — to chew.
cheekful (English): A partial mouthful, enough to fill one's cheek
Definitions
- A partial mouthful, enough to fill one's cheek
Ancestry of “cheekful”, step by step
cheekful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cheek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cheek | The soft skin on each side of the face, below the... |
| 2 | Middle English | cheeke | — |
| 3 | Old English | ċēce | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kākā | jaw, cheek |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kēkǭ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵyewh₁- | to chew |
via English ful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ful | — |