Where does “plainspoken” come from?
plainspoken (English) comes from English plain, from Middle English pleyn, from Anglo-Norman pleyn, from Old French playn, from Old French plain, from Latin plēnus, from Proto-Italic plēnos, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós — to fill.
plainspoken (English): Speaking plainly or simply
Definitions
- Speaking plainly or simply
Ancestry of “plainspoken”, step by step
plainspoken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English plain
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | plain | Flat, level; Simple; Obvious |
| 2 | Middle English | pleyn | clear; unambiguous |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | pleyn | Alternative form of plein |
| 4 | Old French | playn | — |
| 5 | Old French | plain | full; plain; flat |
| 6 | Latin | plēnus | full; filled; complete |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | plēnos | full |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |
via English spoken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spoken | Relating to speech; Speaking in a specified way;... |
| 2 | English | spoke | A support structure that connects the axle or the... |
| 3 | Middle English | spoke | A spoke; A sharp spike or projection on the edge... |
| 4 | Old English | spāca | spoke |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *spaikā | spoke |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spaikō | spoke |