Where does “placeholding” come from?

placeholding (English) comes from English holding, from English hold, from English hole, from Middle English hole, from Old English hol, from Proto-West Germanic hol, from Proto-Germanic hulą, from Proto-Germanic hulaz — to cover; to incline.

placeholding (English): Serving as a placeholder

Definitions

  1. Serving as a placeholder

Ancestry of “placeholding”, step by step

placeholding traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English holding

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishholdingSomething that one owns, especially stocks and...
2EnglishholdTo grasp or grip; To contain or store; "To...
3EnglishholeA hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;...
4Middle Englishholehealthy; safe; whole, complete, full
5Old Englishhola hole, a hollow; calumny; slander
6Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
7Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
8Proto-Germanichulazhollow
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

via English place

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplaceAn area; somewhere within an area; A location or...
2Middle EnglishplaceA place, area or spot; a part of the Earth or universe
3Old Frenchplaceplace; location
4Latinplatēabroad way, street
5Ancient Greekπλατεῖαfeminine nominative singular of πλατύς; feminine...
6Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-Every word from Proto-Germanic hulazEvery word from Proto-Germanic hulą