Where does “shelfful” come from?

shelfful (English) comes from English shelf, from Middle English schelfe, from Old English sċylfe — deck of a ship.

shelfful (English): Enough to fill a shelf

Definitions

  1. Enough to fill a shelf

Ancestry of “shelfful”, step by step

shelfful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English shelf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshelfA flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to...
2Middle EnglishschelfeA shelf or ledge; A cupboard; a piece of...
3Old Englishsċylfedeck of a ship

via English ful

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishful
Every word from Old English sċylfe