Where does “penholder” come from?

penholder (English) comes from English pen, from English penetration, from Middle English penetracioun, from Old French penetracïon, from Latin penetrātiō, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

penholder (English): a device for storing pens while they are not...

Definitions

  1. a device for storing pens while they are not...

Ancestry of “penholder”, step by step

penholder traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpenAn enclosure used to contain domesticated...
2EnglishpenetrationThe act of penetrating something; Specifically,...
3Middle Englishpenetracioun
4Old Frenchpenetracïonpenetration (act, instance of penetrating)
5Latinpenetrātiōpiercing, penetration
6Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
7Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
8Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
9Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
10Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
11Latincalceusshoe
12Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
13Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

via English Hölder

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHölderA thing that holds
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ
penholder — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer