Where does “halfwidth” come from?

halfwidth (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,...

halfwidth (English): Of a text character, occupying the space of half...

Definitions

  1. Of a text character, occupying the space of half...

Ancestry of “halfwidth”, step by step

halfwidth 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 width

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwidthThe state of being wide; The measurement of the...
2EnglishwideHaving a large physical extent from side to side;...
3Old Englishwīdwide, vast, broad, long; distant, far
4Proto-Germanicwīdazwide; broad
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁weydʰh₁osset apart, asunder, in two
6Proto-Indo-Europeandwi-two; apart, asunder
7Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-
halfwidth — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer