Where does “pencilful” come from?
pencilful (English) comes from English pencil, from Old French pincil, from Latin pēniculus, from Latin -culus, from Proto-Italic *-kelos — Diminutive suffix.
pencilful (English): The amount that can be held in a pencil (medicinal bougie)
Definitions
- The amount that can be held in a pencil (medicinal bougie)
Ancestry of “pencilful”, step by step
pencilful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pencil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pencil | A paintbrush |
| 2 | Old French | pincil | — |
| 3 | Latin | pēniculus | — |
| 4 | Latin | -culus | Alternative form of -ulus; added to a noun to... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *-kelos | Diminutive suffix |
via English ful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ful | — |