Where does “pillowful” come from?
pillowful (English) comes from English pillow, from Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle, from Proto-West Germanic *pulwī, from Latin pulvīnus, from Latin pulvis, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.
pillowful (English): Enough to fill a pillow
Definitions
- Enough to fill a pillow
Ancestry of “pillowful”, step by step
pillowful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pillow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pillow | A soft cushion used to support the head in bed; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | pilwe | A soft stuffed bag; a cushion or pillow; A pad; a... |
| 3 | Old English | pyle | pillow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *pulwī | pillow, cushion, bolster |
| 5 | Latin | pulvīnus | a cushion, pillow, bolster to sit or lie upon |
| 6 | Latin | pulvis | dust, powder; an arena, place of contest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |
via English ful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ful | — |