Where does “plentiful” come from?
Plentiful derives from Middle English plentiful, meaning abundant or existing in large quantities.
plentiful (English): Existing in large number or ample amount;...
Definitions
- Existing in large number or ample amount;...
Ancestry of “plentiful”, step by step
plentiful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English plenty
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | plenty | A more-than-adequate amount; More than enough;... |
| 2 | Middle English | plentie | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | plenté | fullness; abundance; much; a lot |
| 4 | Old French | plenté | fullness; abundance; much; a lot |
| 5 | Latin | plēnitātem | — |
| 6 | Latin | plenitas | The state of being full; fullness; abundance,... |
| 7 | Latin | plēnus | full; filled; complete |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | plēnos | full |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |
via Middle English plentiful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | plentiful | — |