Where does “needful” come from?
Needful derives from Middle English needeful, from Old English nēodful, meaning necessary or required.
needful (English): Needed; necessary; mandatory; requisite;...
Definitions
- Needed; necessary; mandatory; requisite;...
Ancestry of “needful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | needeful | — |
| 2 | Old English | nēodful | necessary; earnest; zealous |
| 3 | Old English | -ful | full of; -ful |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -fullaz | -ful |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fullaz | full; the whole, the entire |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |
Words derived from “needful”