Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overfill” come from?

overfill (English) comes from Middle English overfillen, from Old English oferfyllan, from Old English fyllan, from Proto-West Germanic *fullijan, from Proto-Germanic fullijaną, from Proto-Germanic fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.

overfill (English): To fill beyond capacity or beyond what is...

Definitions

  1. To fill beyond capacity or beyond what is...

Ancestry of “overfill”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishoverfillen—
2Old Englishoferfyllanto fill to overflowing, cram, feed in excess;...
3Old Englishfyllanto fill; Alternative form of fiellan
4Proto-West Germanic*fullijan—
5Proto-Germanicfullijanąto fill, to make full
6Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- →