Where does “plainspokenness” come from?
plainspokenness (English) comes from English plainspoken, 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 — to fill.
plainspokenness (English): The quality of being plainspoken
Definitions
- The quality of being plainspoken
Ancestry of “plainspokenness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | plainspoken | Speaking plainly or simply |
| 2 | English | plain | Flat, level; Simple; Obvious |
| 3 | Middle English | pleyn | clear; unambiguous |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | pleyn | Alternative form of plein |
| 5 | Old French | playn | — |
| 6 | Old French | plain | full; plain; flat |
| 7 | Latin | plēnus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | plēnos | full |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |