Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fulfilment” come from?

Fulfilment comes from Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan, combining the prefix full- with Old English fyllan meaning to fill, ultimately from Proto-Germanic fullaz and fullijaną derived from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning to fill.

fulfilment (English): The act of fulfilling; The state or quality of...

Definitions

  1. The act of fulfilling; The state or quality of...

Ancestry of “fulfilment”, step by step

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

Words derived from “fulfilment”

  • fulfillment
  • nonfulfillment
  • nonfulfilment
  • unfulfilment
  • self-fulfillment
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- →