Where does “polyfill” come from?

polyfill (English) comes from English Fill, from Middle English fillen, from Old English fyllan, from Proto-West Germanic *fullijan, from Proto-Germanic fullijaną, from Proto-Germanic fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.

polyfill (English): A synthetic textile used for bulk or insulation,...

Definitions

  1. A synthetic textile used for bulk or insulation,...

Ancestry of “polyfill”, step by step

polyfill traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English Fill

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFillTo make full
2Middle Englishfillento fill
3Old Englishfyllanto fill; Alternative form of fiellan
4Proto-West Germanic*fullijanto fill
5Proto-Germanicfullijanąto fill, to make full
6Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

via English polygon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpolygonA plane figure bounded by edges that are all...
2Ancient Greekπολύγωνονpolygon
3Ancient Greekπολύγωνοςpolygonal, many-angled
4Ancient Greekγωνίαcorner, angle; joiner's square; cornerstone
5Ancient Greekγόνυknee
6Proto-Hellenicgónuknee
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵónuknee

via English polyester

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpolyesterAny polymer whose monomers are linked together by...
2EnglishesterA compound most often formed by the condensation...
3GermanEsterester
4LatinEsthērEsther
5Ancient GreekἘσθήρEsther
6Hebrewאֶסְתֵּר
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁-