Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “filling” come from?

Filling derives from Middle English fillen, from Old English fyllan meaning to make full, from Proto-Germanic fullijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning to fill or be full.

filling (English): present participle of fill; Of food, that...

Definitions

  1. present participle of fill; Of food, that...

Ancestry of “filling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfillTo occupy fully, to take up all of; To add...
2Middle Englishfullen—
3Old Englishfullian—
4Old Englishfull-full, fully, completely, entirely; very
5Old Englishfullfull, filled, complete, entire; a beaker; a cup,...
6Proto-West Germanicfullfull
7Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

Words derived from “filling”

  • underfilling
  • lipofilling
  • waterfilling
  • fillingness
  • formfilling
  • fillingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- →