Where does “half-expect” come from?

half-expect (English) comes from English half, from Middle English half, from Old English healf, from Proto-Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic halbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

half-expect (English): Almost to expect; to think that something may...

Definitions

  1. Almost to expect; to think that something may...

Ancestry of “half-expect”, step by step

half-expect traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English half

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhalfConsisting of a half; Consisting of some...
2Middle Englishhalfhalf
3Old Englishhealfside; half; partly
4Proto-Germanic*halb
5Proto-Germanichalbazhalf
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

via English expect

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishexpectTo predict or believe that something will happen;...
2Latinexpectāre
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-Every word from Proto-Germanic halbaz