Where does “thimbleful” come from?
thimbleful (English) comes from English thimble, from Middle English thymbyll, from Old English þȳmel, from Old English þūma, from Proto-West Germanic þūmō, from Proto-Germanic þūmô, from Proto-Indo-European tūm-, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
thimbleful (English): As much as a thimble will hold; A small amount of...
Definitions
- As much as a thimble will hold; A small amount of...
Ancestry of “thimbleful”, step by step
thimbleful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English thimble
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thimble | A pitted, now usually metal, cap for the fingers,... |
| 2 | Middle English | thymbyll | thimble |
| 3 | Old English | þȳmel | thumbstall; fingerstall; thimble |
| 4 | Old English | þūma | thumb |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | þūmō | thumb |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | þūmô | thumb |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tūm- | to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |
via English ful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ful | — |