Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fulfilling” come from?

Fulfilling comes from Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan (to make full), combining Old English full- with Proto-Germanic fullijaną and fullaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- (to fill).

fulfilling (English): Which causes fulfilment; emotionally or...

Definitions

  1. Which causes fulfilment; emotionally or...

Ancestry of “fulfilling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfulfillTo satisfy, carry out, bring to completion; To...
2Middle Englishfulfillento fulfill
3Old Englishfullfyllanto fulfill, accomplish
4Old Englishfyllanto fill; Alternative form of fiellan
5Proto-West Germanic*fullijan—
6Proto-Germanicfullijanąto fill, to make full
7Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

Words derived from “fulfilling”

  • unfulfilling
  • nonfulfilling
  • self-fulfilling
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- →