Where does “handful” come from?

Handful derives from Middle English handful, from Old English handful, from Proto-Germanic handufullō, a compound of hand and Proto-Germanic fullaz meaning full, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning to fill.

handful (English): The amount that a hand will grasp or contain; A...

Definitions

  1. The amount that a hand will grasp or contain; A...

Ancestry of “handful”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhandful—
2Old Englishhandfullhandful
3Old EnglishhandA hand
4Proto-West Germanichanduhand
5SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
6Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
7Old Norsehǫndhand
8Proto-Germanichanduzhand
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →
handful — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer