Where does “lapful” come from?
lapful (English) comes from English lap, from Middle English lappen, from Old English lapian, from Tagalog lapi, from Spanish lápiz, from Italian lapis, from Latin lapis, from Proto-Italic *lapets — stone.
lapful (English): As much as somebody's lap can hold
Definitions
- As much as somebody's lap can hold
Ancestry of “lapful”, step by step
lapful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lap | The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a... |
| 2 | Middle English | lappen | to wrap, fold |
| 3 | Old English | lapian | to lick, lap up, suck |
| 4 | Tagalog | lapi | joining or attaching a part to a whole; affix |
| 5 | Spanish | lápiz | pencil |
| 6 | Italian | lapis | pencil; sanguine |
| 7 | Latin | lapis | a stone; a milestone; a boundary stone |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *lapets | stone |
via English ful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ful | — |